The Fervent Crimson Flame
by YAXON
Summary: Erza takes on Natsu as a training partner/teammate from X778 onwards. It doesn't take long for them to become a couple and reach S-Class together. Moreover, their 'Team Crimson Flame' comes to adopt and take in a variety of members over the years, and they all grow and learn together. Just what changes will they bring about in this exciting and new world of Magic?
1. Chapter 1

**Point-in-Time: X777-780**

* * *

It was a bright, sunny day when Natsu Dragneel came to Fairy Tail. The pink-haired boy was clad in beige shorts, a red long-sleeved shirt, and a white scarf wrapped around his neck. He carried a small bag over his shoulder that had the few worldly belongings that he owned; a kindly old man had found him as he was looking for his father, Igneel, and invited him to come join their family since he had nowhere else to go.

"Whoa! This place is _huge_!" Young Natsu yelled excitedly as he and the old man that was about his height stood outside of the Fairy Tail Guild. "So this is a Wizard Guild, huh?"

"Yep, it's called Fairy Tail." The old man, Makarov, confirmed for the boy.

"That's a weird name." Natsu muttered bluntly, earning a hearty chuckle from Makarov.

"Yes, well… Nobody knows whether or not fairies have tails, or if they even exist! So it'll forever be a mystery. Unless we try to find out, which could become an amazing adventure. And our members are the ones who want to find out." Makarov stated with a wide grin. The grin must've been infectious, because Natsu was soon mirroring it.

"I don't get it, but it sounds awesome!"

It didn't take long for Natsu to get his accommodations and living quarters worked out; Makarov would take the boy in until he was ready to move into an apartment after earning some money. Well, truthfully, Natsu was planning to build his own house outside Magnolia, as he just wasn't used to living in a town. All he had known was living out in a cave with Igneel, away from civilization, so of course the transition was going to be overwhelming at first.

Of course Makarov wasn't going to let the boy struggle on his own. Building a house wasn't any kind of work for a boy, and to tell the truth, well… Makarov was already seeing Natsu as one of his many grandchildren. That's what Fairy Tail was, a family.

"Hey, what's your deal? You got a problem with me or somethin'?" A raven-haired boy, clad in nothing but boxers, was lounging at a table, glaring moodily back at Natsu.

"So what if I do?!" Natsu replied flippantly.

… Yep. Family.

"Oh? They gonna fight?" A blue-haired man asked from another table a little bit away. The brunet smoking next to him snorted.

"No way!"

A girl in a yellow dress popped up at the raven-haired boy's table and hollered at him.

"Gray, your clothes!"

Gray panicked as he looked down and apparently noticed that, indeed, he was in nothing but boxers.

"Aw man!"

Natsu's interest in Gray seemed to wane at that moment as he turned away with a bored expression.

"Jeez, what a pervert!" The pink-haired boy grinned when Gray got up in his face with a scowl.

"Who you callin' a pervert, Pinky?!"

"You, ya loudmouth streaker!"

A dust cloud was kicked up from there as the boys started to brawl in the Guild Hall, uncaring of who may be watching them. Makarov smiled wryly as he held a cup of beer.

"Well, a feisty one, eh?"

"They'll fit right in!" An orange-haired man with a witch-like hat chuckled good-naturedly at the same table Makarov was at.

It didn't take long for the brawl to be broken up. A red-headed girl wearing a white skirt and light gray armor with a red bow got between the squabbling boys and pushed them apart. Irritated at the interference, Natsu glared at the redhead when she turned towards Gray first.

"What?! You want some of this, too?!"

"Don't do it…" Gray tried to warn the pink-haired boy as their audience collectively winced.

The redhead promptly sent them both careening into a wall, leaving sizeable crater marks.

"What total idiots." The redhead huffed.

"But why me toooo…?" Gray whined pitifully. This garnered a stern glare from the redhead.

"You're not to fight, are we clear…?" She asked both boys intimidatingly. Gray immediately acquiesced.

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Scaaary!" Natsu rocked back and forth on the ground, clutching his head where it most hurt. The redhead stared at Natsu curiously as she seemed to realize that he was new.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"Natsu…" The pink-haired boy looked to the side with a pout and his cheeks heated up a little. The girl nodded her head.

"Natsu, huh…? Let's get one thing straight. Everyone at Fairy Tail treats each other like family, and this Guild Hall is like our home. It's not a place for fighting. Understand?"

Natsu took a moment before replying, but at her expectant stare, he released a sigh.

"Yeah…"

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, I'm Erza." The girl said with a smirk and her hands on her hips.

"She's mean…" Natsu muttered under his breath and dipped his head somewhat.

"For real…" Gray agreed just as quietly. Both boys smirked at each other for having similar thoughts, but then realized what they were doing and looked away from one another stubbornly.

* * *

Erza Scarlet was not particularly known for getting close to anyone that wasn't the Guild Master. She constantly preached that the members of Fairy Tail were a family, but then she turned right around and started disciplining anyone and everyone for the slightest infractions. When she wasn't doing that, Erza usually secluded herself and was wary of others approaching her.

For about a year after Natsu joined the Guild, that's all he was – a new face. A hardheaded boy that couldn't seem to get that when she said "no fighting", she meant _no fighting_. He was overly rambunctious and always off doing something. Her attitude toward the boy started to change when the Strauss Siblings joined the Guild in the year X778. The eldest sibling was about her age, and seemed to have a real mean streak on her, not caring who she taunted or belittled.

To be frank, it pissed Erza off, and a rivalry was soon established that mirrored Natsu and Gray's. … Though Erza would never admit to that.

Around the time Natsu tried selecting his first job to take by himself, that was when Erza took it upon herself to teach the boy how to properly read and write. Oh, he dreaded those three days she kept him studying nonstop, but he couldn't argue with the results. What bothered Erza somewhat is that Natsu seemed to single her out of all the Guild, basically saying she was "scary" while "everyone else is cool".

What did they have that she didn't?

* * *

"You _are_ scary," Natsu flatly told her over lunch one day, a scowl on his face. "You always come up with these dumb rules and get in the way of fights and stuff. First time I tried to go up the stairs without Gramps, you nearly gave me a concussion! I'm not takin' it back. You're scary."

Erza huffed at the reminder, her arms crossed exasperatedly. That was the first day he had come to the Guild; how was she supposed to know he left his stuff in Makarov's Office upstairs while he got to know his new Guildmates? The rules said no one but S-Rank Mages or the Master were allowed up there. He could have at least waited for Makarov and she wouldn't have made a fuss. Probably.

"Fine." She growled out bitterly. It wasn't as if he was the first one to be scared of her. Why should she care?

Natsu raised an eyebrow at her clear agitation. Being scary wasn't always a bad thing. A lot of the time it was, but it could be a symbol of strength, too. Growing up with a dragon might've been 'normal' for him, but even Igneel could have his scary moments. How could he not as a fire-breathing dragon?!

"Look," Natsu said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're uptight. And mean. And scary. All of that's true. But I don't think you understand totally what I mean by that. To scare me, you hafta be strong and, uh… imposing, I think? I dunno how to rate you 'cause I haven't fought everybody here, but you're _definitely_ one of the strongest."

Erza seemed to perk up at that, having not considered that Natsu might have a personal definition of what 'scary' is. She allowed a small smile to slip onto her face when she posed her next question and leaned forward expectantly.

"Then… You keep picking fights with everybody in my presence because…?"

"'Cause one day I'm gonna beat you!" He smirked when Erza's eye twitched at his bluntness. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest defiantly. "Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but I'm gonna catch up to ya! You'll see! Then I can fight with whoever I want!"

"Even if you surpass me one day, you'll still have the Master to contend with." Erza remarked dryly. She twitched again at his obvious response.

"I'll beat Gramps, too!" Natsu said as a fire-like aura encompassed his person. "I'm never gonna back down from a fight! Knock me down and I'll get back up!"

Erza dropped her scowl as she considered everything Natsu said. She'd pegged him as a reckless kid from the beginning, but who knew he had heart to match his cockiness? Of course he would have to learn restraint, but if he could properly channel that spirit when it counted… Yes. Erza could work with someone like this. She'd daresay it would be a lot of fun.

"I see." Erza responded calmly before briefly closing her eyes as if to mull something over. When she reopened them, there was a glint that Natsu shied away from somewhat. In the next moment, Erza stood up firmly and marched over to Natsu's side of the table before picking him up by the collar and then dragging him away by the scarf. "Come, we have much to work on. From this day on we will be a team."

"N-Not again…" Natsu wheezed and valiantly struggled to escape. To no avail.

Before they were just mentor and reluctant vocabulary student. Now it looked like Erza was set on them being a team. When they passed Gray on their way out the door, the raven-haired boy did a double-take and then pointed and laughed at Natsu's earnest pleas for help. Yeah, like he was suicidal to get in-between Erza and something she wanted.

"Poor Flamebrain. I hardly knew ya." Gray calmed down after the pair were no longer in view. When he turned to head into the Guild, he froze when he saw Mira standing there with a mischievous smirk. He took a couple steps back fearfully. "Oh… crap…"

"If Tincan is taking on a protégé, I should probably do the same." Mira casually remarked with a saccharine grin. "I mean, obviously my first choices would be Elfman or Lisanna, but you fight enough with that pink-headed moron as it is. You'll be perfect."

Gray comically made a run for the doors with an exaggerated panicked face, but was dragged back in by his legs before he could even reach the door handle.

He was so screwed.

* * *

Two more years passed. It came time for the S-Class Trials of X780, and as usual the Guild was filled with energy because of the suspense of the picking of the candidates to run the gauntlet. Despite the hell Erza put him through, Natsu only proved to be a solid A-Class Mage. He was not on the list of candidates for the X780 Trials. Neither was Gray, but that had more to do with the fact that Mirajane focused less on her 'protégé' and more on her own personal training when the Trials grew closer.

Both Erza and Mirajane made the cut as candidates. Only one of them would be accepting of the offer, however.

"Waddya mean you're gonna decline?!" Natsu cried after Erza announced her decision after dragging him out to their usual training ground. He pointed at her accusingly. "Don'tcha know what you're missin'?!"

Erza heaved a sigh, but stuck to her guns. This was very important to her.

"I know, Natsu." She closed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest patiently. "Believe me, I would take these Trials in a heartbeat. But you weren't nominated; I won't move ahead without you."

Natsu cocked his head to the side at that. She would throw away her first chance at becoming S-Class? For him?

"What do I hafta do with it?" Natsu asked incredulously, scratching his head. He flailed his arms eccentrically. "You're totally ready for promotion! Go for it, girl!"

Erza's eyes flashed like steel when she reopened them.

"Not. Without. You." Her tone left no room for argument, so as usual… Natsu conceded. For now. Seeing her teammate compartmentalizing his frustrations, Erza sighed again and tried to find the right words to explain herself. "Natsu, when you think of S-Class, what comes to mind?"

Natsu blinked and tried to think it over before answering with what first came to mind.

"Uh… Kickass missions? Tons of respect from your Guildmates? Right to go to the Second Floor without Gramps? Money?" He drooled a little just thinking about the last item. S-Class missions shelled out so much money. Just think of all the food he could buy with just one S-Class mission…

Erza snapped her fingers to break Natsu out of his mini-daydream. He scowled at it being disrupted. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, S-Class brings all of that, Natsu. But what I was referring to was responsibility. You have so many more expectations riding on your shoulders!" Erza developed a tick mark on her forehead when Natsu's face gave a 'so what?' expression. "We would grow distant, Natsu. I likely wouldn't be able to go on as many missions with you anymore!"

Natsu grew silent as Erza got that off her chest. He wasn't going to lie – the last two years had been hell. Erza was possibly more intense and strict than she was with that three-day vocabulary lesson. But. He could feel how stronger he had become because of Erza's efforts. They'd grown closer as friends, not just as teammates. He'd attempted at one point to ask about her past, but steered the topic of discussion onto something else when it clearly brought her pain to think about it.

Natsu wanted to say that this was like that time. Their team clearly meant a lot to her, just like it meant a lot to him. Two years ago when their team was formed, Erza took it upon herself to help restructure his house, which he'd constructed behind Gramps's back 'cause the old man had done more than enough by bringing him to Fairy Tail and putting up room and board for him because he was a kid. That, and all those fights he got into with Laxus… Boy, did the old man grumble over those.

More than the house, though, Erza also helped him hatch Happy's egg. Well, not 'help' help, 'cause she did say he was the best person to be hatching an egg with his Fire Dragon Slayer abilities. But she vouched for him and Lisanna when they were absent from the Guild for a while, letting everyone else know where they were and what they were doing.

Sure, it was a pain to ride transportation with Erza because she tended to knock him out on her lap, but it stopped him from getting sick, didn't it? She didn't belittle him for his motion sickness. And she was totally the best teammate ever 'cause she got caught up in the moment and wrecked everything, too. That tendency to ask him to hit her for being so reckless was a bit weird, though…

All of that taken into account, Natsu knew he couldn't treat Erza's feelings about this like a trifle. Erza kinda obsessed with 'responsibility' and 'expectations' enough as-is; if she was worried some rank would get in the way of their awesome team, then he was gonna cheer her up. It was the least he could do.

"Okay." Natsu grinned at Erza's stunned look. He adopted a serious look a moment later, though. "I still think we'd be able to stick together even after you became S-Class, but if you're that worried, then all that's left to do is become S-Class together. That sound good?"

Erza smiled wryly at the proposal.

"That _is_ what I wanted to do from the beginning. Even if I have to force the Master to make an exception… we will be promoted together. I won't have it any other way."

Natsu nodded shakily at the intense, imposing aura that surrounded Erza in that moment. When Erza says something is gonna happen, it's gonna happen. End of story.

"A-Aye!" Natsu squeaked out, knowing full well how the day was going to end… with Erza carrying him home and spending the night.

* * *

 **Author's Note: This came out much more smoothly. This short is very likely to be continued/expanded on (I know I glossed over some stuff). For accuracy's sake, I consulted the Fairy Tail Wiki and its timeline for years when members joined/got promoted. Again, if I botched anything up, just let me know.**

 **And yes, I am aware the two I did not name are Macao and Wakaba. Seeing as their role was decidedly minor, I didn't name them, so apologies.**

 **Edit 1/27/2017: For those who wanted a separation... there ya go. Renamed the 'main AU', while starting a new fic with the same name from before. Going to systematically go through these chapters, too, and remove the 'glimpes' info... except for the 'Point-in-Time', because that can be useful for the timeskips that happen on occasion.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Point-in-Time: X782**

* * *

"I think we overdid it again." Natsu scratched his head as he surveyed the widespread destruction in the small village they had been sent to help. A lot of buildings were on fire, and some were just plain wrecked. Not even the chapel was spared – in fact, that was where the whole confrontation began, so the villagers were really better off just building a new one. Along with a new half-of-their-village.

"Aye!" A little blue flying cat agreed in a somewhat subdued voice. He was shooting nervous glances at a certain redheaded knight.

A certain redheaded knight that seemed to be busy tying about a dozen unconscious men to one giant tree. Damn she could tie a knot; those guys would be sore when they woke up.

"Nonsense!" Erza chirped giddily as she gave one last tug on the ropes to ensure they were secure. She then dusted her hands off and gazed at Natsu and Happy with a bright smile on her face as she rested her hands on her hips. "We did what we had to and subdued the scoundrels…"

As she got a better look at the village, Erza sweatdropped but did not drop her pose.

"Okay… So we got a little carried away. To be fair, they were holding hostages for ransom. Some of whom were innocent children. I think that gives us some leeway to use judicious application of force."

"Wow. Natsu must be affecting you more than I thought." Happy bluntly stated, causing Erza's cheeks to pink.

Happy and Natsu stared at her for a good long while after that. Believe it or not, he was not the one that started all of this. Natsu was all fired up to bust into the chapel where the bad guys were holed up, but Erza beat him to it by busting out the Black Wing Armor and smashing down a whole wall of the chapel. She ultimately brought the whole place down a few moments after that. This of course kicked up a frenzy from the dozen or so cowardly men, and most of them managed to scatter into the surrounding houses in order to hide or take more hostages.

You can likely see how it spiraled out of control from there. Of course Natsu treated it like a competition – who could round up and beat to a pulp the most scoundrels. Erza took it a step further and made it into a bet. Erza won, of course. She never lost when strawberry cake was on the line.

Which only meant that Natsu would be paying for the next dozen or so slices. And the pink-headed teen knew full well she would be dragging this debt out. At least they were more affordable when spaced out like that… Although if any of them were destroyed because of a "barbarous brawl", the payment for that slice would not count, so this was just as much incentive to not start fights in the Guild Hall until his debt was paid. Erza multitasked like that.

"Gramps is gonna be complaining about the Council again," Natsu mused as he looked up at the sky in thought. "That Siegrain bastard better not make a fuss again… Last time he actually threw you in a cell for the night."

"Only because you disrupted my trial and incited the Council. It was only for the sake of formality and saving face" Erza reminded him before Requipping into a white blouse and blue skirt. An outfit that Natsu and Happy were getting to see with increased frequency over the past year, for some unexplained reason. Mostly because Happy was too scared to ask, and Natsu wasn't complaining because her hugs hurt _a lot less_ when she was like this. Seeing Natsu sag at the reminder, Erza lightly chided him. "Now, now. I'm not angry about that anymore; I was touched you went that far for me… even if your actions did complicate things more than necessary."

The redhead did have to agree that Siegrain was a bastard, though. There was only one other Council member she hated more than the blue-haired Wizard Saint, and she'd only risen to the top of Erza's blacklist because of that very same incident that Natsu caused. Or at least the aftermath of it. She Who Would Not Be Named had the gall to borderline sexually harass Natsu right in front of her. Well, that's what Erza would call it. Really, it was closer to flirting, and it was only done to raise Erza's ire. There was no real passion behind it.

And Natsu… was completely oblivious to it. This irked Erza just as much as it relieved her. Good that Natsu ruined That Woman's game without even knowing he did, but it only meant Erza _really_ had her work cut out for her.

"C'mon, let's go home. We can get some training in before dinner." Erza shook her head to clear her thoughts. When Natsu went rigid at the thought of riding a train again, Erza sighed, took ahold of his wrist firmly, and dragged him toward the train station with Happy trailing behind them. Natsu moaned all the way there, of course.

As usual, Erza had him out like a light before the train started moving, and she had the pink-haired Pyro's head resting on her lap. She was most certainly not running her fingers through his hair and smiling softly. Nope.

* * *

 _A few weeks later…_

The time had once again come for the annual S-Class Trials. Mirajane became S-Class in the X780 Trials, while the enigmatic Mystogan had taken the X781 Trials by storm. While not a surefire thing per se, Erza had great confidence that X782 would be her and Natsu's year. They played hard, ate hard, slept hard… and yes, trained hard for the past two years.

Both of their names came up when the candidates were announced. That was a good sign; it meant Natsu's improvement was real. That they hadn't just imagined it.

As for the rules of the Trials, they panned out as Erza had hoped. There was a loophole that no one had exploited thus far; though in fairness, they had no reason to. With a maximum turnout of one new S-Class Mage per year, why would the competitors partner up with each other? Yet Erza had decided that she and Natsu would be promoted together, so to minimize risk, they would be pairing up. They were not S-Class yet, just S-Class _potentials_ , so they were not breaking the rules. Erza had a feeling that Makarov would see things her way… because some of his precious erotic literature was at stake. Some of the best stuff, too. When you spy an opponent's weakness, you exploit it like hell. That's the kinda logic Erza used to justify the… ransom… of a few hard-to-find porn novels, courtesy of Natsu still having access to Makarov's house.

Makarov did indeed see things her way; it's not like he had much of a choice. Some of those novels were limited edition or had autographs signed by authors that were long since dead. For the first time in Fairy Tail history, there would be two new S-Class Mages should they survive the Trials. … Those other six competitors would be eating their dust, as far as Erza was concerned. Even Gray and Cana.

Still, even with their promotions more or less secured, Erza Scarlet found herself listlessly poking at an empty plate with a fork about a week before the Trials. She'd finished a slice of strawberry cake half an hour ago, and had just been lost in her thoughts for the rest of the time. Natsu and Happy invited her to go fishing with them since Erza declared there would be no training for the last week before the Trials; they needed to be rested and prepared for anything, after all. However, Erza had turned them down, as she didn't feel like it.

Erza wished she had taken them up on it. Natsu might be the reason behind the thoughts that plagued her now, but at least he was quite good at distracting her from thinking about it too much…

"Wanna talk about it?"

Erza looked up from her plate as Mira, clad in a conservative pink dress, slid another slice of strawberry cake in front of her. She looked at the tempting treat somewhat guiltily.

"Mira… I don't have enough money on me for…" She was waved off by the white-haired teenager.

"It's on the house today. I think you've earned it for getting our little Pyro so strong." Mira beamed at the redhead, who reluctantly accepted the gift. But when Erza resumed her listless gaze and started poking the slice of cake with the fork and not bringing any of it to her mouth, Mira's smile faded into a frown. "Erza…"

The redheaded knight didn't say anything for several moments, but eventually she sighed and left her fork protruding from the slice of cake.

"I didn't know I'd get this attached to him, Mira. I mean, he's Natsu. Thickheaded, rambunctious, carefree Natsu. His stomach knows no bounds, and he's a packrat… But he cares for his friends and he always knows what to say when it really matters. I had a crush once before, but the boy was totally different from who Natsu is. I didn't think he'd evoke such feelings from me, but he just keeps surprising me."

"Well, you're the one who wanted to form a team with him, so you must've seen something you liked." Mira's smile returned when Erza started opening up.

"I did…" Erza allowed. She still didn't look up at Mira directly. "He has an indomitable spirit. Even after he saw what kind of training I had in store for him, he didn't run away. I've had to carry him back to his house so many times that I might as well be living with him."

There was a pause as her mind hurried to catch up with her mouth, and then her cheeks matched the color of her hair and she quickly shook her head back and forth. Mira giggled at the scene.

"When did you get so passionate about Natsu? I hope you weren't always out to crush Lisanna's hopes and dreams. She liked him, too, y'know." The white-haired Mage smiled sadly.

"L-Lisanna…" Erza winced sympathetically. The loss of the youngest Strauss Sibling was still fairly recent, so the emotional scars were still fresh for all of them. She shook her head slowly. "I didn't always feel this way about Natsu, no… I've seen him as a friend and teammate for most of the time we've known each other, but I think last year…"

Erza trailed off quietly as she contemplated just when she could have fallen for Natsu. At some point there was some fleeting thought that dating Natsu wouldn't be so bad; she spent most of her days with him as a teammate, so she knew his quirks, dreams, and what he was like overall. Natsu even set up a third hammock for her since she stayed the night so often. Of course, when that thought first occurred to her, Erza had done her utmost best to squash it. Even if Lisanna wasn't remotely interested in her pink-headed teammate, Erza wouldn't feel right taking away some future girl's happiness.

But Natsu was wonderful, and Erza's mind spiraled out of control after that first thought occurred to her. It didn't help that Natsu got worked up about her getting badly wounded on missions, nor did it help that he trusted her battle prowess so implicitly. Both were endearing traits to Erza. He even had the gall to feel guilty about "holding her back". Natsu wasn't doing anything of the sort, of that Erza was certain.

"Have you tried telling him?"

Erza blinked as Mira's sudden question pulled her out of her musings. She shook her head in the negative, but her cheeks pinked a little.

"N-No… Well… I might have tried to flirt with him a few times. I think it went over his head, though." She full-on blushed when Mira giggled at her expense again. That's right, despite That Woman trying and failing to do just that, Erza had attempted it anyway.

"Erza, you should know being subtle with Natsu never works! Just go be blunt with him like you always do! What's poor Natsu supposed to think if you're teasing him like this?"

Steam seemed to be coming off of Erza's cheeks now, and she was doing a poor job of sending Mira a withering glare.

"I… I can't… Not yet… It might jeopardize our teamwork during the Trials…"

"Well, you never know, he might like you back," Mira replied with a wink, making more blood rush to Erza's face, if that was even possible. She patted Erza's shoulder consolingly. "Just take a chance; I really don't think Natsu will reject you. Even if he doesn't reciprocate right now, he might one day. I'd wager on it."

Erza grumbled at that comment, her face still flushed. Of course she knew Natsu cared for her… But she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she made things awkward between them. Erza liked what they had and didn't want to lose it. Could she go on with these suppressed feelings, though…?

* * *

Natsu ran his hands through his hair agitatedly as he and Happy were sitting by the river with fishing rods in their laps. Well, in Natsu's lap, anyway. The fish weren't biting so much today, so Happy, the little traitor, was taking a catnap until he got something. Natsu would probably be doing the same… if it were not for the fact that he could. not. sleep. The S-Class Trials would be in one week, and that had him all fired up.

But that was not what his stupid brain was stuck on. For once, he was trying to puzzle out why Erza had been acting so weird recently. Not wearing her Heart Kreuz Armor around him so much, the surplus of (nice) hugs, even Erza staring at him more often, Natsu could take all that. That stuff had been happening for the past year with increasing frequency. But she was acting even weirder than that lately. Complimenting him a lot more, getting all stutter-y and red in the face when he tried asking if anything was wrong…

Natsu went to Gramps about it, but all the old man did was laugh, ask for another beer, and mutter how it was about damn time without answering his questions. Laxus happened to overhear, and all he basically did was send Natsu incredulous look with what was _maybe_ a modicum of respect in there somewhere. Laxus was growing more distant these days, so it was kinda hard to tell.

"Oi, Flamebrain!" Natsu looked up to see Gray on the other side of the river… stripped down to his boxers yet again. Thank Kami for small favors. "So this is where you went off to. Why don't you put down the rod and come fight me? I could use the warmup for the Trials!"

Natsu grumbled at the challenge.

"Not now, Stripper! Can't you see I'm trying to work something out?!"

"Like you know how to use your brain!"

A vein popped on Natsu's forehead.

"I use my brain a bunch, unlike you, Ice Prick! Erza's just being weird and I can't figure her out!"

Gray adopted a similar tick mark on his face as he raised a fist at his rival.

"You wanna go?!" He then paused as he considered the latter part of what Natsu said. "… What do you mean by weird? Like pissed-off-once-a-month weird? 'Cause if she is, I'm out."

"No!" Natsu grumbled agitatedly before crossing his arms and looking to the side in frustration. "She's been all red in the face a lot, compliments me a lot more, and gives me hugs like every day! Do ya think she's sick and dyin' or something?"

Gray went quiet after that vague summation of just some of the odd things Erza had been doing as of late. He had to admit, the hugging thing he had witnessed a few times, and she spent a disproportionate amount of time with that idiot… But really? How the hell did Natsu attract someone like Erza? To add insult to injury, the Flamebrain was oblivious to it! Did that idiot even know about the concept of dating?

"Natsu… Tell me about Erza. Describe her for me." Gray patiently stated while taking a deep breath. He twitched a little before making a small addendum. "Ignore how weird she's acting. Just focus on the kind of person she is."

Natsu scowled at the Stripper's request, but put some thought into his answer anyway. Might as well humor the Ice Prick.

"Well, she's my teammate. Probably my best friend when she's not punishing me for something stupid I did. Don't gimme that smug look, Ice Prick, I can be pretty stupid sometimes. Even I know that." Natsu grumbled before taking a moment to keep his thoughts on the right track. "She's stern but compassionate, too. It's 'cause of her that my house didn't collapse on me within the first year. Though she does make me clean it weekly… Or failing that, whenever we get back from a job. So, yeah… she's bossy. Demanding, too, with that strawberry cake stuff. She's got a mean competitive streak in her, too – I kinda like it. Not so much the betting part, I guess, but it's just who she is. Oh! And those Armors she's got are pretty cool. She just keeps making more and more. I guess my favorite bit about her is how she wants us to get S-Class together. Y'know, 'cause she actually put me through the paces and let me fight her so often. I woulda been fine if she went on ahead, but it's cool she wanted me to reach S-Class with her. Yeah, Erza's awesome."

Gray's face was blank while Natsu was grinning like a monkey, arms behind his head. The Ice Make Mage really wasn't sure what to make out of all of Natsu's ramblings. It was easy to tell that Natsu admired and respected Erza, but he was objective, too, mentioning stuff that annoyed him. Honestly, a part of Gray wanted the Flamebrain to hook up with the scarlet knight just so he could laugh from the sidelines and call him whipped. 'Cause obviously Erza would be wearing the pants in the relationship.

On the other hand, Gray wasn't sure Natsu had a romantic bone in his body. A lot of that stuff could just be taken as praise for a best friend, like he said in the beginning. Did Natsu even know the terms 'boyfriend and girlfriend'?

"Ohhh, so that's where you were goin' with it. 'Course I know what a girlfriend is, Ice Prick." Natsu suddenly said, getting Gray to stare at him in shock. Natsu rolled his eyes. "You asked that out loud, pal, don't look at me."

Gray was suddenly white as a sheet. He'd just breached a topic that Erza had probably intended to talk with Natsu about at some point. He was _so_ dead.

"Flame… I mean _Natsu_." Gray hastily corrected, closing his eyes in resignation. "Do me a favor and don't tell Erza about this. I'm _begging_ you."

Natsu's grin was positively mischievous as he rocked back forth a little and snickered.

"Only if you be my slave for a week! Gotta do whatever I say."

Gray frowned at that arrangement. One week for an eternity of silence wasn't a bad trade for him, but Natsu would probably humiliate him. Every single friggin' day.

"F-Fine." Gray stubbornly crossed his arms and looked off to the side in frustration. "But you've gotta make _sure_ she doesn't find out! This whole discussion _never happened_!"

Natsu nodded innocently. Gray knew better than to actually trust Natsu to take this to his grave, but as long as he made some kind of effort to keep quiet. Gray wanted to live. He wanted to _live_ , damn it.

"I don't see what the big deal is, though." Natsu muttered as he placed his arms behind his head again and looked up at the sky. "I'm not really looking for a girlfriend yet, 'cause finding Igneel is my priority right now. And Erza could totally do better than me anyway, since I'm, like, holding her back and corruptin' her and stuff."

"The human heart doesn't work that way, idiot," Gray deadpanned. He pointed accusingly at Natsu. "I don't care when you think you're ready to have a girlfriend, you need to sort out your feelings for Erza and work out just what she means to you. 'Cause let me tell ya, pal, I got mixed signals from you earlier. Is she just a friend, or is she something more? You're gonna need to work that out fast, 'cause Erza's gonna come to you someday, and she's gonna want to know how you feel."

Natsu twitched at being told what to do, but knew Gray had a point. Kinda. Personally, Natsu didn't wanna go making assumptions – what if it was just some teenage crush kinda thing? It was weird to think Erza had any kind of feelings for him beyond friendship. What he needed to work out, though, was whether or not he had any feelings for her.

 _'Uuugh, all this touchy-feely stuff is complicated… I don't wanna think about this right now.'_ Natsu perked up when he felt some kind of tug on his fishing rod. He nodded decisively as he started to reel the line in with gusto. _'I'll work it out after the Trials! Fiiish!'_

Gray shook his head at the sight of the Flamebrain procrastinating. He turned around to head back to the Guild, but was stopped in his tracks by a horrified shriek from Natsu.

"STRIPPER, PUT YOUR BOXERS BACK ON! MY EYES!"

Gray glared back at Natsu, but then looked down and realized that, indeed, he recently tore off his boxers. And despite standing in the same place for so long, he did not see them _anywhere_.

"Crap." Gray sighed and went about looking for the undergarment… Stupid Flamebrain distracting him like that…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, I had to end it somewhere. This is enough mushiness for one chapter. At least I have Gray to play around with. Well. All of them are my toys, so-to-speak. Mwahahaha. :P I know I'm jumping around a lot, but I'll be going back over past events when they properly come to me. Moreover, there are other unconnected shorts I wanna try writing; this one just kinda stuck because of the shippy feels, and I wanted to at least get to one such scenario sooner rather than later. 'Cause I will get cold feet if I procrastinate too much. I'll be writing about them a lot more as friends, probably, but like I said, the whole point of this was to branch out into genres and situations I wouldn't normally write.**

 **I am not a hardcore romance writer. I'm far more comfortable with intricate plots, plot twists, and stuff like that. So you see why I was somewhat eager to just get this out. Quick, read before I change my mind! XD As always, I hope it wasn't too terrible.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Point-in-Time: X782**

* * *

Another nice, bright day in Magnolia, both within city limits and outside of it. Makarov took the eight S-Class potentials outside the city for the X782 S-Class Trials, to a site made especially for them. To a site that would essentially not allow the Trial participants to enjoy the beautiful sunny day… at least not right away.

"Alright, settle down now!" Makarov spoke over the speculative Trial-takers as he had them briefly wait outside eight adjacent tunnels that apparently made up a labyrinth inside of a mountain. Due to Mira still feeling out of it after Lisanna's death, he had to bring in the rather reclusive Mystogan as well as Gildarts and his grandson Laxus to make navigating the labyrinth more interesting. And due to Erza and Natsu cheating the system so-to-speak, they wouldn't be using up all of the entrance tunnels for the First Trial… Not that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. "For your First Trial, you'll need to pick one of the paths in front of you and get through the labyrinth within two hours. Don't worry, Laxus had Freed flood the labyrinth with enchantments so that you'll be able to tell how much time you have left to complete the Trial. Now, I should warn you beforehand that there are two ways to pass. The first is that you successfully reach the center, which will be the site for the Second Trial; you'll know when you've reached it.

Without explaining just 'how' they'll know, Makarov pressed on without letting anyone speak up. He unfurled a 'map' of the labyrinth, which was largely blank. The entrance, which was to the South, was easy to distinguish, as was the square room in the center of the mountain, but there were also three squares to the West, East, and North. Mystogan was in the square room to the West, Gildarts to the East, and Laxus to the North.

"The second way… Because you have a time limit of two hours, and there are a total of three S-Class Wizards within this maze, should you run into any one of them, all you have to do is pass their test. Depending on who you run into, you have a two in three chance of having to fight them – I am told Mystogan will have a different test in store that is just as grueling. Once a team has entered an S-Class Wizard's domain, an enchantment will block off the room for the rest of the duration of the Trial; no other teams can go in, and the team that entered must go through with challenging that S-Class Wizard. They either pass the test or they fail. Tread carefully, but do be swift. Your paths are many, and there is a good chance you will come across one another. No rules against fighting, but keep in mind the time limit. You automatically fail if you do not find the center or pass the test of an S-Class Wizard within two hours. Now, with all that said… Each team pick a tunnel so we can get started!"

As Erza picked out the tunnel for them, Natsu took one last look at the other competitors. No one else had paired up like he and Erza; the rest just brought in partners that weren't up for promotion. Gray and Loke were partners as Loke had promised the Ice Make Mage, while Cana cautiously chose Levy as her partner, having apparently caught wind of Freed's hand in flooding the labyrinth with enchantments. Elfman went with Reedus, Bisca with Alzack, Warren with Laki, and then there was Macao with Wakaba as his partner. Personally, Natsu wasn't sure how that pair would work out… Macao was a powerful Wizard in his own right, but he didn't seem like S-Class material per se. And poor Elfman just didn't know who to go with because a lot of the fairly talented Mages were either participating or were being snatched up as partners, so he picked Reedus.

Freed would have been one of the competitors, but he, Laxus, and Makarov were kind of all in agreement that he would have been better off as an aide to the proctors in this exam. His skill with enchantments and the setting for that year's Trials made him an invaluable asset for the proctors. As for Bickslow and Evergreen… they weren't about to partner up with anybody while Laxus was one of the proctors. Not that either of them felt any particular attachment to any of the competitors anyway, or vice versa.

As Natsu turned back to Erza, he noticed that she seemed a bit distracted, and hadn't made any comment on which tunnel they should pick. The other pairs were at least talking about it, if they hadn't made their selection already.

"Hey, you okay?" Natsu gently probed in concern. He was careful not to speak up too loudly; no need to cause a scene.

At first Erza didn't seem to hear Natsu, but eventually she appeared slightly startled and gave Natsu her undivided attention.

"I'm… I'm fine, Natsu. Which path did you want to take?"

Natsu frowned minutely, but decided not to press the issue. Could just be nerves; though Natsu did have a small suspicion that it wasn't the Trials that had Erza occupied… A suspicion he immediately tried to dismiss, because he'd promised himself that he'd think about that stuff _after_ the Trials. But there was always that chance… Erza didn't get distracted often. She was awesome at staying focused!

Forcing those thoughts from his mind, Natsu suggested the seventh route half-jokingly 'cause it was a lucky number. There were three other routes left available, so they didn't have to go with it if Erza didn't want to. But the redhead didn't object, so now they found themselves standing outside the seventh route patiently and quietly waiting for Makarov to start the timer. Once the final pair had selected their route, Makarov officially began the First Trial.

They had two hours. Natsu was all fired up.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Natsu was more than a little annoyed. Gramps wasn't kidding when he said there were "many" paths. It was like a whole 'nother world in that mountain. Except it was a world of torch-lit passageways, so you could not get a bird's eye view of the labyrinth, and it seemed no matter how many times they marked paths taken, they couldn't get a clearer picture of the place. Obviously other teams were using similar methods to try and keep track of their surroundings, and some were sabotaging other teams' markings, so all it did was paint a convoluted picture.

Of course an S-Class Trial wouldn't have been so simple as navigating a maze. It just aggravated Natsu that their progress was practically nonexistent.

"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way." Erza finally spoke up as they reached another three-way crossroads. At Natsu's raised eyebrow, she said, "We're wandering aimlessly at this point – other teams are using my same method of punching the walls at each juncture, so it's impossible to tell if we really have been somewhere before. I suggest we use your nose to hunt one of the S-Class Mages down. It's better than trying to find the center, even if it would mean no conflict."

Natsu grinned as he punched his palm enthusiastically.

"Now you're talkin'! I've been wanting to throw down with Gildarts again! Let's go kick his ass!"

Erza offered a small smile at his enthusiasm.

"If that's what you want; you probably know his scent best out of the three of them, anyway. It won't be easy."

"S-Class wouldn't be worth it otherwise!" Natsu laughed lightly and got to work trying to sniff out Gildarts's scent. Erza got quiet again, but he could tell she agreed with his sentiments about the Trials. These things were tailor-made for the examinees to prove they were worth promotion. Not just anyone could become S-Class.

… But still, Natsu couldn't help but feel concerned with how quiet Erza was being. The vacation week before the Trials had been pretty awesome with him and Erza hanging out, yet he got the distinct impression she had been wanting to say something to him all week. It musta been something pretty difficult to say, because Erza never struggled with speaking her mind. Ever. It was a novel experience to see her hesitant like this. And he had a sneaking suspicion he knew just what she wanted to say… Damn Ice Prick for planting that idea into his head. _If_ that was what Erza wanted to talk about – and Natsu still had some doubts that was really the case – he was so screwed 'cause he just hadn't mulled over his feelings at all. Natsu let that week of no training or missions go to his head; they'd never had such free time in the past two years.

… Oh, screw it. If Erza was gonna rip his head off for prying, he was gonna get this out of the way now. Better than just watching her fight inwardly with herself.

"Hey, Erza?" When Erza met his gaze, he spoke sincerely. "I dunno what you've been thinking about lately, but I can tell it's eating you up inside. Maybe it's not my place to pry… I just wanted to let ya know I'd listen if ya ever wanted to talk about it."

… Damn traitorous mouth. He wanted to get this discussion outta the way!

Erza didn't speak up for several moments after that, but somehow Natsu was able to tell that his words had a positive effect on her, despite his chickening out at the last second. She looked less… tense, Natsu supposed. Kinda like a burden was taken off her shoulders a little.

"Thanks, Natsu." Erza replied softly before shaking her head. "Now's not really the time for it, though. M-Maybe after the Trials…"

Natsu kept a calm and composed exterior somehow… but inwardly he was kicking himself. Chances were that Gray was _right_ , which only meant he would have to multitask here… Lest he not know what to say and wind up hurting Erza as a result. Damn Dragon Slayer abilities heightening his five senses. Natsu enjoyed being the oblivious, happy-go-lucky guy, but he wasn't _completely_ oblivious. All that 'feelings' stuff was really important to the girls at the Guild based on what he overheard from them, and it seemed Erza was no exception.

 _'I'm gonna need a miracle…'_ Natsu moaned inwardly as he got back to work tracking Gildarts. You could not cheat with something like this; someone isn't gonna tell you how you feel about certain people if you yourself don't know. Well… Mira might be an exception, 'cause she was kinda into 'predicting' couples and whatnot, but still. Mira wasn't here, Erza was, and they had Trials to conquer.

Natsu wished he hadn't procrastinated…

* * *

Hunting Gildarts down became a bust. After they were about thirty minutes into the First Trial, there was this weird tremor that Natsu and Erza felt uneasy about… Natsu even got green in the face like he did when he woke up in Erza's lap on a moving train, which seemed to imply to Erza that after a set amount of time, the labyrinth shifted… or something.

As if this whole ordeal wasn't complicated enough. Still, in spite of the setback, Natsu was able to track down where Gildarts was likely lying in wait. That was kind of made easy because for some reason, Gildarts's scent was twice as strong in one place. By the time they reached the corridor that seemed to lead to Gildarts, Natsu crashed face-first into a wall of magical energy, implying someone was already in there squaring off with Gildarts. The worst part for Natsu was that they were too far away to tell; they couldn't even make out the room Gildarts was supposedly in on account of the dark corridor obscuring their vision straight ahead past the enchantment barrier.

"DAMN IT! I WANTED TO POUND GILDARTS INTO THE GROUND!" Natsu raged and eccentrically pounded away at the enchantment wall with his fists, which obviously had no effect. "HIS ASS WAS GRASS!"

"First come, first serve." Erza reminded Natsu of the rules. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she pondered what to do next. There were only three avenues left open to them now – Mystogan, Laxus, or finding the center of this labyrinth. She uncrossed her arms and moved them back to her sides as she looked to Natsu inquiringly. "Can you find Laxus? I believe our chances against him would be marginally better anyway."

Natsu ceased his tantrum and sagged at losing the chance to fight Gildarts. He might not have liked it, but that was just life for ya. It sucked.

"Yeah… I actually caught a whiff of him a while back…" He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head when a tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead. He waved his hands peacefully in front of himself. "I just wanted to fight Gildarts! I can get us back to that juncture in a jiff! … Probably…"

Erza pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation and gestured for him to lead the way.

"If someone beat us to Laxus, you will be punished…"

Natsu chuckled nervously knowing full well she was being dead serious. Erza always found suitable punishments for him, and he did not want to find out what would be instore this time…

* * *

Well, they were in luck. No one had beaten them to Laxus or even came close to that. It took an extra half hour mind you, which meant that the whole place gave off a tremor again and made Natsu queasy, but they made it. As Gramps predicted, Laxus's test was to battle him. No surprises there.

Laxus made it quite clear, however, that he would not be nearly as merciful as Gildarts. If they wanted to pass his test, they had to beat him. No two ways about it. All three combatants went into the battle with fierce determination, but it was Laxus who emerged victorious from the first round of blows. Natsu was a little bulkier, but a lightning-charged fist was still enough to bat the pink-haired teenager away, while countering one of Erza's blades straight after that even with the redhead in her Black Wing Armor.

Neither of the S-Class hopefuls were going to back down, however. For a time, the battle remained tame like this, with Laxus only occasionally charging up his fists with Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic. It didn't take Natsu long to get frustrated with Laxus's brute strength, which seemed to handle every single attack thrown his way thus far. One can see how the fight would escalate from that point onward. At first Natsu stuck primarily to his most basic Fire Dragon Slayer attacks – Fire Dragon's Roar, Fire Dragon's Claw, Fire Dragon's Sword Horn, Fire Dragon's Flaming Elbow… In just a few moments, he unleashed a rapid flurry of such attacks against Laxus, but this only seemed to bring out Laxus's common attacks – the Lightning Dragon's Roar and Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist, for example. Natsu seemed to sustain the most damage out of all of these heated blows, which only served to enrage Erza more. She, too, was trying a variety of attacks against Laxus at first, alternating between Armors when they didn't seem to hack it against the blond.

All fun and games come to an end at some point, however. That started to happen when Natsu started to bust out the Dragon Slayer's Secret Arts – first he busted out Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist, which involved more rapid punching of Laxus, but this time with fists ablaze that created fiery explosions with each blow he landed on Laxus. _That_ was the move that made Laxus start to get serious. Largely because in the past, the Secret Arts were the moves Natsu used to end fights; yet here he was breaking them out already. And the pink-headed teen looked far from exhausted as he ferociously pummeled away at Laxus.

To further compound how serious the match was getting, Erza had Requipped into her Lightning Empress Armor. An equalizer in essence, since his attacks wouldn't affect Erza in that Armor, while her lightning attacks would more or less tickle him. Deciding to kick it up a notch, Laxus's muscles bulged as his body apparently grew to accommodate his intense Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic. He then prepared his Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd attack just as Natsu was in mid-rush to get in close with him again. If the timing went off without a hitch, this might just knock Natsu out for the count, leaving Erza to fight him alone.

Naturally Erza swiftly got in-between Natsu and the Heavenward Halberd just in the nick of time. The Lightning Empress Armor did its job, but damn if that attack didn't have _some_ effect on her reserves. With Titania on one knee now, and Natsu trying to work his way around to get at Laxus without hurting Erza, the blond charged up his Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist and unleashed it to nail the Fire Dragon Slayer while in midair, sending the pink-haired teen flying back harshly and with lightning crackling all over his body.

Daring to hope that would keep the Fire Dragon Slayer down for a while, Laxus turned his attention back to Titania, who looked suitably enraged by what he had just done with that last attack. Erza was a respectable warrior in her own right, but Laxus foolhardily assumed with the moron down, this match was essentially over.

He would soon be proven dead wrong.

* * *

Erza woke back up, unknowing of what time it was. It became clear that she was still in the cave where she and Natsu had confronted Laxus, but her memory of the fight was hazy to say the least. She vaguely remembered why – after Laxus knocked Natsu down, she had attacked Laxus almost in a blind rage. Laxus simply overwhelmed her without using his Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic while she was still in the Lightning Empress Armor.

Erza should have been finished after that beatdown. She was even forced to Requip out of her Armor after a certain point – if Laxus had connected any attacks on her then, it's no wonder she was knocked out. But that's not quite what happened. She vaguely remembered Natsu propelling himself forward unexpectedly to push her way out of the knockout attack meant for her; but after that, she was drawing a blank. Erza must have blacked out.

And now as the haziness in her eyes cleared up enough to see the former battlefield, she could see Natsu sitting cross-legged by her side with an exhausted grin – very much banged up, but otherwise happy-go-lucky as always. Laxus was a few meters away, lying flat on his back and looking the very definition of 'defeated'. He was conscious, however; he just seemed to be in a lot of pain.

"Natsu…" Erza trailed off uncertainly, unsure of what to say. Well, that's not quite true. Her eyes reflected curiosity, and Natsu seemed to understand that as he sat with her in a relaxed manner.

"Crazy fight. Laxus is _strong_. I still dunno how I managed to turn that around… but I did." Natsu rubbed the back of his head and winced slightly. "After Laxus swatted me out of the air, pretty much, I realized something. Out of instinct I had started inhaling some of the Magic of that attack, which… kinda had me adjusting to an element that wasn't fire."

"You… You… You _what_?!" Erza winced at shrieking that, but Natsu had done something so extraordinarily _stupid_. She honestly wondered how he was even conscious after that, let alone speaking with her.

Natsu grinned nervously at her reproachful glare.

"I know, I know… It just didn't taste right. My body ached all over after absorbing a new element, and I couldn't do anything to help you… Well, until Laxus forced you out of your Lightning Empress Armor. I dunno what came over me, but I just felt… I _had_ to protect you, Erza. It hurt to move at all, but I got to ya in the nick of time… 'Course, I took the brunt of Laxus's attack that was meant for you, which kinda convinced me I was out for the count." Natsu looked down at his fists and clenched them experimentally. "But then, I… I dunno how to describe it. I felt some new kind of rush, one I've never felt before. I think Laxus's lightning Magic fused with my own, and I felt I could do a new combo attack! So I used one!"

"… You're really something else, ya moron." Laxus called over from where he was sprawled out. Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade… Natsu revised one of his Secret Art moves to include that lightning element. It shouldn't have been possible for Natsu to just _do_ that… But he did.

And Laxus was perfectly aware of _why_ Natsu pulled off the impossible. His reason to fight, in this case.

"Erza… I dunno." Natsu rubbed the back of his head abashedly. "I think that fight made some stuff clear for me. If it were Gray or anyone else that Laxus was clobbering, maybe I would've pulled off the same miracle. I'll do anything to protect my friends. But I'm not totally sure, 'cause it _really_ upset me to see you get hurt like that. You can't be _just_ a friend to me after going through all that. I've never been so pissed!"

As if sensing Erza's confusion, Laxus spoke up again.

"He really cares for you, Erza. Kept pounding me even after I was down. All because I hurt you to the point that you blacked out. … Almost tempted to fail you guys because of that, but it just wouldn't be right. You beat me within the time limit, and I have to accept that." Almost as an afterthought, Laxus said with a smirk, "Don't plan on getting lucky again in our rematch, Natsu… Next time I want to fight you one-on-one."

"N-Natsu…" Erza looked at the pink-headed teen with wide, shocked eyes. It was practically unheard of for Laxus to offer up any kind of praise for an opponent, least of all from his own Guild.

Natsu ran a hand through his hair at Erza being in awe at what he'd accomplished. He wouldn't take all the credit.

"It's our victory, Erza, not just mine. I couldn't have overcome Laxus without you." He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to say. Natsu wasn't a hundred percent sure he could trust his own words, but Laxus seemed to convince him otherwise. Actions speak louder than words and all that. "… I love you. More than a friend or a best friend… You've done so much for me that it's kinda hard not to. I just wasn't sure 'til now."

To say Natsu jolted at Erza's arms suddenly being wrapped around his neck, while her lips met his own, would be an understatement. He really wasn't expecting it. But, shock eventually slipped away, and Natsu tentatively returned her kiss, as if afraid that if he got into it too much, he'd wake up only to discover that Laxus really had conked him out.

Eventually Erza's face pulled away, but she kept hugging him tightly in their kneeling positions, which Natsu reciprocated by hugging her around the waist.

"I love you, too." Erza whispered quietly in his ear and rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted to say a lot more, but was so overwhelmed by emotion that she was incapable of doing so.

Laxus had sat up by this point, painfully, and was watching the pair smugly. Oh, he would be dishing out payback later for that crushing defeat… But for now, he'd enjoy the show and report back to Grandpa about this latest development. It'd get back to Gildarts, eventually, and then the pink-headed moron would be teased senselessly…

The First Trial would be ending soon, but Laxus would give the new lovebirds a few more minutes. Gramps would understand… if not be a bit irritated he wasn't there to see it himself.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ha… aha… Yeah. I got mixed feelings about the pacing here, but at least I got to the uber mushiness I wanted this sequel chapter to have. Holy crap. lol I could probably refine future scenes similar to this, but for a first try I don't think I did too bad… Who'm I kidding? I'm trash compared to pros who write fluff frequently. XD**

 **What's next? I dunno. If I continue along this AU right away, there might be a timeskip. I could just as easily branch off into something else – something with angst to give a break from the pure fluff I've been overloading you guys with. XD Either way, I'm not strapped for Natza ideas. I** _ **probably**_ **won't delve into fights too much (save for climactic moments), 'cause if this chapter's any indication, I'm a newb at writing Fairy Tail battles. Fun to watch, read up on, but writing them… Ehhh. There's loads of better stories for that out there.**

 **One last thing – I realize some of the S-Class nominations are questionable at best, I figured I'd just attempt to identify them instead of leave them nameless (aside from Gray and Cana). Chalk it up to the Natsu and Erza team spurring certain Guildmates to train harder in this AU, or whatever… It's two years prior to canon's main events anyway. Some things are bound to change while others stay the same. Looking forward to experimenting with more characters in the future. ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Point-in-Time: X784**

* * *

The port town of Hargeon, a bustling center of activity with a market centered on fishing. It's a beautiful old town that many just pass on through to get to their real destinations. Not only does it have ships dock there, but it also has a train station that a familiar pair of Fairy Tail mages has used to arrive in this humble town. Well, a pair of Fairy Tail mages and their constant companion, a flying blue cat that is regarded as an honorary member of the Guild.

"C'mon, Natsu! We made it to Hargeon! C'mon, get up already!" Happy tried to persuade his queasy-looking lifelong friend to get off the floor of the train they were disembarking.

As per tradition, Natsu Dragneel passed much of the train ride knocked out on Erza Scarlet's lap. However, toward the end of the journey, Natsu was jolted awake, and had to endure about five minutes of motion. Because really, at that point there was no point in knocking him out only to wake him right back up. Besides, Natsu did need to work on building up a resistance to this weakness of his.

… Not that Erza was in a huge rush for him to get over his motion sickness. There was a certain charm to having her boyfriend conked out on her lap; it was fairly relaxing, really. Erza could always count on Natsu to not try something funny, and he was great to cuddle. … That all being said, the train was about to leave, and Erza was not about to leave him stranded on a train again. She firmly took ahold of his wrist that was propped up against the door and hauled him out just as the doors were about to close.

"Th-Thanks, Erza! Finally off that deathtrap!" Natsu grinned shakily before hunching over and proclaiming, "Never… I'm never gonna ride a stupid train again…"

Erza sighed at the characteristic remark.

"You say that, but you know you have to take it back to Magnolia." She gave a slightly stern stare when Natsu opened his mouth in protest. " _No_ , we are not walking back."

Natsu pouted and grumbled under his breath, but did not otherwise protest. He was never gonna like those things, even if they were quick to get around in.

"If our information is correct, Salamander should be somewhere in this town!" Happy declared, taking a cursory glance around the place. Erza's frown remained as she did the same.

"I still have doubts about Igneel being here. This really doesn't seem like the kind of place a dragon would come to."

Natsu propped his arms behind his head and started strolling in a random direction.

"Maybe, but it can't hurt to check, right? Somebody's using my name. I just think it'd be cool if Igneel was using it to get my attention." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Plus, it couldn't hurt to take one day off. Those S-Class Quests aren't goin' anywhere, and it's not like we're strapped for cash."

Erza did not seem to completely approve of Natsu's carefree attitude… They were both S-Class, so they were supposed to set an example. And then she remembered another certain S-Class Wizard…

"… Okay." She conceded while closing her eyes, earning a mischievous grin from the pink-haired mage. Her eyes flashed open with a stern gaze, making him deflate a little. "But business first. If someone _is_ posing as you, and they're not Igneel, it not only reflects badly on your reputation, but it shames Fairy Tail. We will not let that slide, are we clear?"

"A-AYE, MA'AM!" Both man and cat chorused and frantically gesticulated, earning a sharp nod from the redhead.

Depending on what they find out, they might just have to cut loose a little in order to dish out punishment to the poser. Well… _she_ might. Natsu didn't specialize in punishing others. But Erza did. Chances were this wasn't Igneel they were searching for, and whoever was actually posing as Natsu had damn balls of steel. Nobody dishonored Erza Scarlet's boyfriend or her Guild and got away with it. Nobody.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another area of Hargeon, a blonde teenager was perusing a Magic shop. She didn't know it yet, but she would soon be having a fateful encounter.

"You mean this is the only Magic shop in Hargeon?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock. The elderly man who ran the store nodded his head in confirmation.

"I'm afraid so. About only ten percent of Hargeon's population is made up of Wizards. So my typical clientele are Wizards just passing on through."

Lucy sagged in defeat and puffed out a sigh.

"Darn. This was a complete waste of time, then..."

"Aw, don't say that!" The old shopkeeper tried to entice her with some merchandise. "I've got the latest goods, why just look at this! It changes the color of your clothes1 All the pretty young Wizards have 'em."

"Yeah, I've already got one of those…" Lucy muttered, looking around to see what else was there. "What I really want are some super rare Gate Keys!"

"A Celestial Wizard, eh? Can't say I get too many of those…"

Just as the old shopkeeper said that, Lucy squealed when she noticed a silver key with the silhouette of a dog's head.

"A Little Doggy! I've always wanted one!"

"It's not very powerful…" The shopkeeper pointed out.

"I don't care! How much?!" Lucy leaned over the counter, only to twitch at the man's response.

"Twenty thousand Jewel!"

"C-Could you repeat that…?"

"Twenty thousand Jewel."

Resorting to drastic measures, Lucy got up on the counter in a seductive manner.

"Aw, c'mon! How much is it _really_?" Lucy went in for the kill with a wink.

… Needless to say, a few minutes later, Lucy was stomping through the streets with a sour expression on her face, the silver Gate Key still clutched in her hand.

"Only discounted a thousand Jewel?! Is that how much my looks are worth?!" She put on a forced toothy grin. "So much for my feminine wiles…"

Lucy stopped mid-tirade when she heard the telltale squealing of a crowd of fangirls down in a plaza that she was overlooking from a bridge. A couple more giddy fangirls ran by her on their way to the plaza.

"Can you believe it?! Salamander's here!"

Lucy managed to overhear that exclamation and had a mini-freak-out of her own.

"S-S-Salamander?! THE Salamander? What's he doing in a place like this?" The blonde shrugged and went to join the crowd of fangirls, unknowing of what was about to transpire…

* * *

Around this time, Natsu, Erza, and Happy were coming upon the crowd of fangirls. Obviously such an energized gathering would attract the most attention in an otherwise tranquil town, and all three members of Fairy Tail had their interests piqued when there were distinct cries of, "It's Salamander!" Natsu and Happy were interested because it might be Igneel. Erza, on the other hand, was eager to size up her target, as she also heard cries proclaiming how "dreamy" he was.

"Dreamy" is not how Erza would describe a dragon. Her suspicions were confirmed when they caught sight of the man the fangirls were fawning over. Oblivious to the disappointment awaiting him, Natsu waded through the crowd with his usual enthusiasm.

"Igneel, you bastard! It's me, Na-" His face quickly fell when he saw the man before him. His expression quickly became sour. "You're not Igneel."

"No, I'm not." The man smoothly replied, handing over what looked like a personal autograph. "But since you came all this way, here ya go, kid. Show it to all your friends!"

Natsu took one look at the signature, which was just some fancy-shmancy scribble of the word 'Salamander', and summarily ripped the paper in half.

"No thanks." He replied grouchily before turning on his heel to leave. The crowd that had let him through previously was now blocking his path, however.

"Apologize to Salamander-sama!" One fangirl hissed, while a few others cracked their knuckles 'menacingly'.

To be honest… Natsu wasn't affected in the least. Especially not when a menacing aura caught the attention of all the fangirls and got them to open up a path for Erza and Happy – the latter of whom just walked over to Natsu and patted his leg consolingly. As for the redhead, she had Requipped a sword into her hand and was stomping over to the man claiming to be Salamander. Her intimidating aura did not vanish even when she stood inches from his face.

"Are you Salamander of Fairy Tail?" Erza asked while her red hair draped over her eyes to conceal her intent.

The man before her was enough of an idiot to put his foot in his mouth.

"Why, yes I am!"

Natsu cringed as in one smooth and firm motion, Erza's arm lashed forward to grab the faker by the collar and throw him into a nearby brick wall, resulting in a sizeable hole. The fangirls all gasped in disbelief, but didn't dare raise a hand against the armored redhead, even with the Charm spell working them over. She didn't even need to break out any of the other Armors for this one; the Heart Kreuz Armor was doing just fine.

"Now.. You are going to tell me who you _really_ are, and what your intentions are." Erza growled as she stomped over towards the man again and kept him pinned with a single sword. "Charm spells were outlawed years ago. I'm sure the Magic Council would be very interested in your… _activities_ …"

The man made one last attempt to weasel out of the bind Erza had him in, but before he could so much as even cast one of his pitiful Fire Spells, Erza made one lightning-quick motion with the blade in her hand to lob some hair off the top of his head without causing him any other serious injury. The coward saw in the redhead's cold, unforgiving eyes right then that she was not fooling around, nor was she a rookie mage.

Understandably, Bora the Prominence started singing like a canary after that, and his Charm spell wore off on the girls, including one Lucy Heartfilia. Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving Lucy with the three Fairy Tail mages that saved her, as well as Bora, who was still being interrogated by Erza.

"Hey, um, Mister?" Lucy approached the pink-headed teen, who still seemed to be sulking about the 'Salamander' lead being a bust. When he looked at her curiously, she went on, "I just wanted to thank you guys. My name's Lucy. Your friend is, um… amazing."

Natsu grinned at Lucy's hesitation. 'Course blondie was intimidated by Erza, everybody was! … Well, those without a death wish.

"No problem! Erza had a feeling this lead was a bust, so she was kinda adamant about finding and bringing this guy to justice. If there's anyone you should be thankin', it's her."

"R-Right…" Lucy replied faintly as she watched Erza punch Bora in the face with an armored fist. Twice. She glared in annoyance as Natsu and Happy snickered at her expense. Then a thought came to mind. "Why don't I treat you guys to lunch? It's the least I can do for breaking that Charm spell."

Natsu sobered up and shrugged neutrally.

"Well, I'm fine with it, but it'll hafta be a place that has strawberry cake."

"Aye! You're going to need it later when Erza interrogates you." Happy chirped and giggled at Lucy's aghast face.

"M-ME?! Why would she interrogate me!"

"Because you offering to pay is almost like taking Natsu on a date. Even if she'll be there watching your every move." The blue cat said all this with a bashful smile, getting a tick mark to appear on Lucy's forehead. "She's overprotective of Natsu because she loooves him!"

"Shut it, cat! It's not like that!" Lucy barked, only to get more chuckles from Happy.

The blonde froze when Erza seemed to finish her interrogation and tie up Bora with a length of rope. The redhead then walked over to join Natsu, Happy, and Lucy.

"Natsu, we need to do one more thing before… Oh, who's this?"

While Lucy wilted under her suspicious stare – Happy wasn't kidding! – Natsu answered without missing a beat. 'Cause there was nothing to hide.

"Her name's Luigi, and she wanted to thank you for breaking that Charm spell thing. Wants to take us out for lunch."

"IT'S LUCY!" The blonde corrected angrily.

Erza seemed to be placated with this explanation… though she would be keeping a close eye on the blonde, nevertheless.

"Before that, there's something we must do, Natsu. Bora the Prominence-" She jabbed a thumb at the battered, bruised, and sobbing man that was still tied up by the wall. "- has a slave ship at the docks that he was going to trick young girls into boarding. We need to find and free anyone he may have captured already, as well as apprehend any of his lackeys. Can you begin the raid of that ship, while I drag Bora's sorry hide to the Rune Knights?"

Lucy turned green as the truth of 'Salamander' came to light. If these people hadn't come along… The blonde didn't even want to think about it. Natsu, meanwhile, got a mischievous glint in his eye as he rubbed his hands together.

"Can I sink the ship?!" His hatred for modes of transportation knew no bounds. Truly.

"Only if you can be sure no girls have been captured," Erza surprisingly did not flat-out deny him. Well, to Lucy's surprise, in any case.

"I can help!" Lucy volunteered. She patted at her hip pouch, which contained her Gate Keys. "I'm a Celestial Wizard! Aquarius would be perfect out there."

The blonde began to sweat a little when Erza stared intently at her, as if the redhead was trying to will a confession out of her. After a while, though, Erza acquiesced, if somewhat begrudgingly.

"… F-Fine. Natsu might need the help if his motion sickness gets the best of him." Erza knew she could trust no one else to get Bora to the Rune Knights. The prisoner might overpower Lucy, even in his bound state, and Natsu…

Well. He had an antagonistic relationship with the Council's police force. That was putting it lightly. Erza was the only one who could handle Bora and be professional in her report about his activities.

The beautiful redhead made a mental note to be as swift as possible, however. It wouldn't do for Lucy to get any... _ideas_ … while she was away.

* * *

About an hour later, the three humans and one cat were all sitting in a restaurant, enjoying a meal courtesy of Lucy. Outside of Hargeon, mind you. In the course of the battle that took place at the pier, Natsu overwhelmed the pack of criminals that tried to escape on the ship – even with his motion sickness impeding his efforts somewhat. However, it was not him that was responsible for much of the damage this time. That 'honor' went to Lucy when she summoned Aquarius, and the aquatic spirit violently plowed the ship back into the port, obliterating some nearby buildings.

Strange how a Celestial Wizard didn't get along with one of her Spirits.

Regardless, soon after that, Natsu rounded up every goon that tried to make a break for it and tied 'em all up. That still didn't diminish the ire of the Rune Knights when they showed up with Erza, and the three mages and flying cat were forced to flee, lest they risk prison time. And that's how they wound up at a restaurant back in Magnolia. Lucy had witnessed the Fairy Tail mark on Natsu's right arm, and remarked how she wanted to join that Guild above all. Natsu okayed it, so now she just had to endure the scrutiny of the redhead who sat across from her in the booth.

"… If you're going to join Fairy Tail, you must understand one thing, and one thing only." At Lucy's expectant nod, Erza possessively wrapped her arms around Natsu, who was stuffing his face with the food Lucy was paying for. "Natsu. is. **mine**. As long as we are clear on that, you can join Fairy Tail and even be a part of our team, if you so desire. Regardless of the devastation you caused, I think you would make a wonderful addition."

Lucy sweatdropped at the display, but nodded rapidly in acceptance at Erza's piercing glare.

"Natsu's yours! Got it!" The blonde squeaked out. Internally, she was planning to go with any other team that caught her eye when she got to Fairy Tail. Natsu was okay, and even that annoying cat wasn't too bad… It was aaall Erza.

As if reading her thoughts, Natsu heavily swallowed a mouthful of food and grinned supportively.

"You don't have to make a decision until you get to the Guild, don't worry. What Erza's tryin' to say is that we wanna help you ease into jobs and stuff. You don't hafta accept our help; we're S-Class, so I guess we can be pretty intimidating for the new girl."

Lucy openly squawked at the last bit, almost as if she was taking that to be a challenge.

"N-No, you are not! I'll gladly be on your team!" The blonde twitched when she realized what she just signed up for. Did Natsu use reverse psychology or something?

"Natsu's not smart enough to use that," Happy giggled from beside her. "He just knows how to raise your competitive spirit!"

Lucy opened and closed her mouth as words seemed to fail her. These people seriously needed to stop reading her mind or whatever the heck they were doing…

"Well, at least Stripper won't feel like a third wheel anymore." Natsu grinned ear-to-ear as Erza cuddled him affectionately. Gray didn't always go on missions with them, but it was often enough they considered him to be a part of their team. … Even if Mira did have a hand in training him a few years back.

"What have I gotten myself into…?" Lucy moaned and accepted the receipt for the meal when it came. Did she even want to know who this 'Stripper' was?

… Well she'd find out regardless. At least she'd finally be a part of Fairy Tail!

* * *

 **Author's Note: A little more humorous than I intended for… But I'll run with it. Next time… Lucy gets introduced to the rest of Fairy Tail. Or whoever's not out on missions, anyway. XD**

 **I like clingy Erza. I do. Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Point-in-Time: X784**

* * *

"Those idiots from Fairy Tail have gone and done it again!" A Councilman raged inside the Council Room. "This time they've destroyed an entire port!"

"What's the matter with them?!" Another Councilman concurred.

"I'm actually quite fond of those dimwits and their laissez-faire attitude." The azure-haired Councilman Siegrain remarked with a smirk on his face. Beside him was a short old man named Yajima, who was quick to support Siegrain.

"Hmm… They may behave like fools, but we mustn't forget they are also an extremely capable lot."

"Yes, they present quite the quandary." Another Councilman piped up.

"I think we should leave them be. After all, if it wasn't for those fools, think of how dull this world would be." Siegrain commented, and even though some Councilmen were still annoyed with that particular Guild, that seemed to settle the matter and they moved onto other business.

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Crimson Flame – as Erza refused long ago to take full credit for the team – arrived at Fairy Tail with Lucy in tow.

"Well, here we are! Fairy Tail!" Happy announced as they stood in front of the building.

Erza turned to Lucy briefly before they headed inside.

"Now, while you do have our approval to join the Guild, you will first have to meet with the Master to make it official. Then you can get your mark from Mira."

Lucy gasped in awe at the mention of the name.

"You mean THE Mirajane?!" She clasped her hands with stars in her eyes. Lucy was a huge fan of the beauty that frequently did shoots for Sorcerer Weekly.

A few years back Erza might have been annoyed with a new member idolizing Mira, but their rivalry had really diminished within the past two years, and now Erza saw her as a real friend and a close confidant in certain personal matters.

"Yes…" Erza started to nod her head, but stopped when Natsu unceremoniously kicked open the doors and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"WE MADE IT BACK ALIVE!"

Immediately, all eyes were drawn to Team Crimson Flame, and Lucy in turn got to get a good look at her new Guildmates. There was such a… variety. Lucy even spotted some people she had only seen in magazines. It was so surreal.

"Heard you went guys went all-out in Hargeon, Natsu!" A buck-toothed man chuckled. "How'd you go starting trou-"

… And then Natsu proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was _not_ dreaming. By kicking said buck-toothed man in the face and starting a pub brawl.

"HAAA!" Natsu raised his fist at the downed man. "You lied about that Salamander, jerk! I'm gonna kick your butt!"

The buck-toothed man got up and raged at the pink-haired teen.

"Hey, don't get mad at me! I'm not the one to blame! I was just passing along a rumor I heard!"

"It was just a _rumor_?!" Natsu howled.

"You wanna fight?!"

"Let's go!"

A cloud of dust was kicked up as the two started trading blows, but pretty soon a majority of the Guild was involved, and everybody was fighting everybody. With only a few exceptions.

"W-Wow… I'm actually standing in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall…" Lucy muttered amidst all the fighting. She quivered a little when she saw a comical dark aura surround Erza as her head was dipped, the knight raising her armored fist before punching the door next to her in frustration.

"You can't go _one day_ …" Erza's ranting devolved into unintelligible mutterings. The gist of it was that she could not so easily stop Natsu from brawling as she used to; her training with him had gone a _little too well_.

Now instead of being an upholder of the peace, she was just another brawler that jumped into the fray. With the intention of stopping the conflicts, mind you, but as stated… Natsu was S-Class. It was no longer as simple as clubbing him over the head.

While the redhead Requipped a sword and jumped right into the huge dust cloud, Happy tried more peaceful means to get everyone to calm down.

"Now, now, Natsu…" A person promptly fell on top of Happy and catapulted him into a wall, cutting off whatever he had to say.

A brunette who was sitting by the bar with three others fanned her face before snapping the fan shut and smirking arrogantly.

"Oh, so Erza's joining the fray again? Well, I can't just let my rival for Queen of the Fairies to get the upper hand!" This woman is called Evergreen. She is a part of a team of strong contenders for S-Class known as the Thunder Legion. Beware of looking into her eyes, or you might be turned to stone.

A man in a tight black-and-white striped suit with a hood draped tightly around his head and with a metal visor over his eyes laughed with his tongue hanging out.

"You say that, but you're not even S-Rank like her yet!" Five floating wooden constructs laughed together and repeated 'S-Rank' simultaneously. This man is another member of the Thunder Legion – a man capable of taking possession of wandering spirits and placing them into inanimate objects to do his bidding. Yet similar to Evergreen, he too has an ability if a foe makes eye contact; Bickslow can take control of any living person's soul if they make eye contact with him. He is usually a jovial man who enjoys a good fight, whether he's watching or taking part in it.

Evergreen twitched and swatted Bickslow in the face with her fan before diving into the brawl. Bickslow grumbled a little before going to take part himself. A man with long green hair and who wore a long red coat with a white cravat shook his head slowly as he leaned back on the bar counter.

"Those two… Always so quick to fight." This man, Freed Justine, is the leader of the Thunder Legion. His loyalty to Laxus Dreyar is second to none, and he formed the Thunder Legion in order to support Laxus as best as he could. Freed specializes in enchantments, using them in just about any manner – offensively, defensively, or cleverly. With Laxus becoming more open to the Guild within the past two years, so has Freed and the Thunder Legion. They are still loyal to Laxus first and foremost, but they have become friendlier with their Guildmates – to the point that Freed and Mirajane have become very close friends.

"I can tell you want to join in," the blond Lightning Dragon Slayer smirked as he was facing the counter and hovering over a mug of beer. "Go on, before Gramps crashes the party."

Freed's face went red and he spluttered.

"I- no! I couldn't possibly!"

"Go on, Freed!" Mira encouraged him while emerging from behind the bar counter. "Fight for the honor of Laxus!"

Freed seemed to fidget nervously as even Mira seemed to be pushing for him to go.

"V-Very well… But I shall fight for your honor as well." And like any noble gentleman… he lunged into the fray with gusto.

"I don't think he even realizes you have him wrapped around your little finger." Laxus snorted in amusement while sharing a look with the white-haired barmaid.

"That's what makes it so fun!" Mira closed her eyes and giggled. When she reopened her eyes, she spotted Lucy still standing close to the door, where Team Crimson Flame left her. "Be right back."

She told Laxus, and then maneuvered over to the new recruit. It was always fun to get reactions from them! Laxus shook his head, never once dropping his amused grin. He was definitely different from how he was two years ago, when he fought Natsu and Erza. That fight alone wasn't quite enough for him to change his view about the Guild completely, but it was enough to get the change started. Before, he thought his Grandfather's soft ways were making the Guild weak over time, that he allowed too much mischief and that in turn caused a majority of the Guild to grow complacent.

And then Erza went and found a diamond in the rough like Natsu. The kid was still a lot of bark, but Laxus had now been aware for two years that he had some bite to go along with it. On top of those two joining the S-Class rank, it seemed people were more determined to get stronger, even if they weren't shooting for S-Class. So yeah. Laxus was a lot more open-minded these days, and even joined everyone else on the first floor whenever he lingered around the Guild.

Which isn't to say he wasn't prideful anymore. If you challenged him, he would kick your ass in all likelihood.

"So Natsu and Erza are finally back, huh…" Gray Filibuster, once more clad in only his boxers, scowled as he punched a Guildmate in the face to send him flying backward. "I go on a solo S-Class for two days, and Hargeon happens! Stupid Flamebrain leaving me behind… It's time we settled things!"

"Gray, your clothes?" Cana reminded him, only to get shot down.

"I don't have time for that!" Gray roared as he kicked a table into the brawl to make it easier to get over to Natsu. Unluckily for him, Erza got in his path and hit him over the head with the blunt side of her blade. This did not knock Gray out as it used to, and Erza soon had an enraged Ice Make mage on her hands.

"See? I don't date the men here because they have no class." Cana grumbled and downed a whole barrel of beer.

"Fight me, Natsu!" Gray hollered even while he and Erza were locked in punching one another in the face.

"Not until you put some clothes on!" Natsu exclaimed while pounding the poor sap who told him that rumor about Salamander.

Elfman walked into the Guild from behind Lucy and had his arms crossed in a disapproving manner.

"It's only noon, and you boys are whining like spoiled babies!" He then flexed his muscles. "I'm a real man! Want me to prove it to ya?!"

Natsu growled and punched him into the wall, seemingly taking him out of the fight for the time being.

"He knocked him out that easily?!" Lucy was floored. Of course, she shouldn't be too surprised by this point…

"Jeez, it's so noisy around here, huh?" An orange-haired man with glasses remarked while lounging with two girls at his sides. He was looking straight at Lucy when a projectile cup hit him square in the forehead, finally earning his ire. He then stood up and waved at the two girls. "I'm gonna go fight, if only to protect you two."

"Good luck, Loke!" They cheered him on as he charged in.

"Well, he's definitely off my list…" Lucy deadpanned as she turned away. "What the heck is wrong with these people?! There's not one sane person in this place!"

"Why hello! Are you new here?" Mira finally got over to Lucy, smiling serenely as she did.

Of course Lucy went into fangirl mode.

"It's Mirajane! In the flesh!" Mira giggled at the blonde's squealing. Lucy jabbed a thumb at the mass of brawlers that were wreaking havoc in the Guild Hall. "Um, don't you think we should stop them or something?"

Mira laughed at their antics.

"It's always like this around here! I just leave them alone. Besides…" The unconscious body of Elman was thrown straight at Mira, causing the last comment to become strangled. "… it's kinda fun, don't ya think?"

Comically, her spirit seemed to come out of her mouth, leading Lucy to panic.

"WAAAH! Don't die, Mirajane!"

With Erza still grappling with Gray, Natsu snuck up behind his raven-haired rival and swiped his boxers. This caused _both_ Erza and Lucy to be traumatized by Gray's completely naked state; Erza getting to see the front, Lucy getting to see the back.

"GIVE ME BACK MY UNDERWEAR, JERK!" Gray roared, and promptly got smacked with a heavy iron club that Erza Requipped. It took him a few moments to see straight again, but when he did, he sidled over to Lucy and asked oh-so-casually. "Excuse me, Miss, but I could I please borrow your underwear…?"

Lucy smacked him away with a screech.

"AS IF!" She yelped when Loke snuck up behind her and scooped her up in his arms.

"These guys are all so insensitive, a woman has needs!"

Elfman, back in the land of the living, struck both Lucy and Loke with a fist.

"Real men speak with their fists, Loke!"

"I told you to butt out!" Natsu roared and punched Elfman harshly once again. Of course now he had to contend with Erza for what he did to Gray just moments before, so he danced around the swords she sent flying his way, while also dodging the swings of the club she was still using.

"Wow… So much for having a drink to relax…" Cana muttered and prepared to use her Card Magic in order to break up the fight. "That's enough, you guys… I suggest you knock it off!"

"Oh yeah?! Says who?!" Gray challenged and charged up one of his Ice Make attacks. … Thank Kami he was back in boxers.

Elfman transformed one of his arms into stone, while Evergreen tried to lock eyes with Erza, who was having none of it and busted out her Purgatory Armor. Bickslow was making his 'babies' explode, and Freed was preparing some type of enchantment.

"You punks can be such a nuisance…" Loke tapped into a green ring and started charging up some kind of attack as well.

Natsu bathed one fist in flames, while the other hand he bathed in lightning. He punched his open palm in anticipation.

"I'm ready for ya!"

Lucy, meanwhile, quivered and held up Happy as a poor shield of defense.

"They always fight like this?!"

"Uh-huh!" Happy smiled obliviously.

"You don't seem worried!" Lucy cried.

Then, right before they were all about to throw down, a silhouetted giant got into the middle of the rowdy bunch, his voice thundering and commanding all attention.

"WOULD YOU FOOLS STOP BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN?!" He bellowed.

While everyone froze upon realizing their Guild Master was among them – well, all except for Laxus, who was still at the bar counter, but nevertheless was looking his Grandfather's way.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were still here, Master!" Mira giggled sheepishly, back on her feet.

"Did you say _Master_?!" Lucy cried.

Natsu, meanwhile, laughed uproariously with his hands on his hips.

"Man, talk about a bunch of babies! Looks like I won this round, guys…" The pink-head was summarily squished by Makarov's giant hand.

"Well, seems we have a new recruit!" The old man took notice of the blonde and then shrank down to his regular size, shocking Lucy. He held out his hand in greeting. "Nice to meet ya!"

"He's tiny! Is he really in charge here?!" Lucy questioned, unable to believe it.

Erza closed her eyes and Requipped back into her Heart Kreuz Armor before striding over to Lucy and Mira.

"Yes, he is. Meet Fairy Tail's Master, Makarov."

The old man nimbly leapt back and rolled in midair before landing on the railing on the second level of the building. … Well. Almost. The landing wasn't perfect. But he stood up on it and coughed awkwardly before waving a stack of papers in the air.

"You've gone and done it again, ya bunch of clods!" Makarov barked. "Just take a look at how much paperwork the Magic Council sent me this time! This is the biggest pile of complaints yet! Have you lost your minds?! All you kids are good for is getting the higher-ups mad at me!

This seemed to have a sobering effect on most of the Guild members, though Laxus leaned on the counter with a small smirk.

"However…" Makarov conjured fire in his left hand and burned the pile of paperwork to a crisp. When he pitched the fireball over the assembled Guild members, Natsu leaped up and gobbled it up. "I say to heck with the Magic Council! Now listen up. Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us and the flow of the natural world are in perfect synchronization! To perform Magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul! If all we do is worry about following rules, then our Magic will never progress. Don't let those blowhards on the Council scare you, follow the path you believe in! 'Cause that's what makes the Fairy Tail Guild Number One!"

When Makarov held up his thumb and index finger, the rest of the Guild mirrored him and cheered boisterously – even Laxus showed support, knowing exactly what that pose was. The blond had come up with it, after all.

* * *

A little bit later, Mira gave Lucy her Fairy Tail mark, after she requested it be in pink and placed on her right hand.

"There! Now you're an official member of the Fairy Tail Guild!" Mira chirped.

Lucy danced a little and proceeded to show it off to Natsu and Erza, who were sitting at a table together.

"Look, Natsu! Erza! Mirajane just put the official Fairy Tail mark on my hand!"

"That's wonderful, Lucy, welcome to the Guild." Erza replied amicably, while Natsu grinned supportively.

Gray sauntered over to the group with a drink in hand.

"So you met this girl in Hargeon, Natsu? Did Erza already give her the once-over?"

Natsu sweatdropped at the casual way Gray popped that question in Erza's presence, and wisely chose not to answer. A tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead as she answered Gray's inquiry.

"Yes, we met Lucy in Hargeon. … And that is really none of your business, Gray." She said in a warning tone.

"Yup! Erza made Lucy swear the oath!" Happy replied cheerfully, and was promptly bashed in the head with an armored fist.

"Wow. Erza musta really felt threatened." Gray muttered, only to reel back in fear from her intense aura as she stood up from her seat.

Despite every fiber of his being wanting to see Gray get pummeled, Natsu sheepishly smiled and gently pushed down on Erza's shoulders so she would sit back down. He then kissed her on the cheek to calm her down even more, getting her to lightly blush. Anger immediately fading away.

"Nah, Erza mighta been a little worried, but I wouldn't break up with her for some other girl. No offense to Luigi, but Erza's probably the only girl that could handle me. Y'know, knights and dragons and all that."

Erza blushed fiercely at the potential innuendo in the middle there, but immediately did her best to suppress it. Now wasn't the time for one of _those_ daydreams. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice… except for the ever-aggravating Happy, who teased her with eyebrows that went up and down. She would have pounded him on the head again, but that would've drawn attention.

In the meantime, Lucy once again moved to correct Natsu about her name _again_ , and Gray laughed at her expense because Natsu had a habit of getting names wrong the first time around. With some notable exceptions.

"So, are you S-Class, too?" Lucy asked Gray when they calmed down.

Gray took a sip of his drink and nodded.

"Promoted last year." He pointed accusingly at Natsu and Erza. " _Those_ two, on the other hand, forced the Master to make an exception two years ago, and got promoted together."

"Hey, don't get mad at me, Ice Prick! You just didn't have the guts to blackmail the old man!" Natsu aggravatingly raised his fist with a tick mark on his forehead.

"Gramps tightened security on those books 'cause of your guys' stunt!" Gray bellowed. "At least I can say _I_ earned my ranking, 'cause I had to fend off everyone else. You guys had to rely on each other."

"There's nothin' wrong with that! You wanna go?!" A fire blazed in Natsu's eyes. But before Gray could respond with the same passion, Erza's hand tightened on Natsu's shoulder like a vice, preventing him from standing up. Gray laughed mockingly at Natsu being whipped, but was then given a stern glare from the same redhead.

… Let's face it, they were both whipped.

"No fighting. We should really find Lucy a job she can take, and accompany her on it to be safe."

Lucy smiled nervously.

"Um… It's okay, really! I could probably take a job solo!"

"That's exactly what Natsu tried to do when we were young. Thankfully, we stopped him before he got in over his head."

"Gimme a break! I couldn't read anything but the reward!" Natsu whined, massaging his shoulder. Then, like flipping a switch, Natsu rubbed his hands together mischievously. "Hey, Lucy… I got the perfect job lined up for you."

Erza didn't need to read between the lines to know what Natsu was proposing.

" **No** S-Class Quests for the new recruit. She's not ready."

Natsu pouted, crossed his arms, and grumbled.

"It was just the one from that Councilwoman. Y'know, the one asking for me personally. I just figured we could give that one to Lucy since it's just helping find some tome in the Council's library again. Funny thing is they're never too hard to find…"

Erza's eyes narrowed as Natsu brought that up.

" **Her** again? Grr." Erza reined in her anger for the time being. It was true She Who Will Not Be Named had requested Natsu personally a couple times in the past year… Erza invited herself along on each one. Because each time it was just an attempt to raise Erza's ire, and it was never done frequently enough to prove 'malicious intent'. She Who Will Not Be Named was smooth; she knew the boundaries and not to push them, because Erza _would_ pounce when she did. "… Regardless, Lucy's first Quest should be something from _this_ level and not upstairs."

"Upstairs?" Lucy inquired with the tilt of her head. Erza nodded in confirmation.

"Yes. Down here, a mage of any class can accept jobs from that board." Erza jabbed her index finger toward it. "But only S-Class Wizards can go up the staircase. Well, unless the Master has business with someone. In any event, they keep this strict rule because upstairs there is a board like the one down here; on it are missions of much higher difficulty, and they can be categorized into three levels of difficulty."

"First are the normal S-Class Quests," Gray picked up from Erza's explanation. "There's more chance of a fight on those, and that's why they're ranked tougher than the ones down here."

"Then there's SS-Class," Natsu piped up, his armed draped over Erza's shoulders. "They're kinda given the moniker 'Decade Quests' because, well… They can last up to ten years."

Lucy's eyes widened at that, finding it hard to imagine any kind of job could last that long. A voice Lucy didn't recognize filled her in on the third type.

"And then there's the SSS-Class jobs." All eyes panned over to Laxus, who strode over to the group, a job request clutched in his hand and his coat draped over his shoulders. "You won't be going on 'Century Quests' anytime soon, though, so you can relax. They're only ranked that difficult because few Wizards can actually handle them, and sometimes it does take decades."

" _C-Century_ …?" Lucy breathed out. She was almost tired of being amazed so much that day. There was so much she didn't know.

"What's the mission this time, Laxus?" Natsu grinned at the Lightning Dragon Slayer, who smirked back at him.

"Normal S-Class for now. Figure I should be around when you drive the new girl insane; help comfort her poor soul a little."

"Nobody asked you! We're _awesome_!" Natsu grumbled, earning a laugh from the muscular blond before he walked off.

"How many of you S-Class Wizards are there?" Lucy asked curiously, ignoring Natsu as he stewed for a bit at the 'insanity' comment from Laxus. Erza tilted her head as she named them off the top of her head.

"You have the three of us, Master Makarov, Laxus… and then you have Mirajane, Mystogan, and a man called Gildarts. Gildarts regularly goes on SSS-Class Quests – SS-Class at a minimum. As for Mystogan… well, he's rarely around, but I _think_ he takes about any level of Quest, not just S-Class. Still, he is one of our most powerful."

"You think?" Lucy parroted.

Gray nodded.

"Yeah. You'll probably see what we mean when he comes back into town. Nothing can really prepare you for what happens."

"Eh, enough about that stuff!" Natsu groaned slightly, and then brightly smiled. "Go 'n pick a job, Lucy, and we'll go on it with ya!"

"Just remember we're splitting the reward five ways!" Happy cheerfully pointed out, making Lucy twitch as she realized that Happy wanted some of the cut.

"If it helps, Natsu and I will give you our shares. We don't particularly need the money." Erza nuzzled her head against Natsu's shoulder affectionately. Natsu nodded to confirm he would 'donate' his share.

Lucy smiled appreciatively at the two before turning to Gray, who sighed and raked a hand through his hair in defeat.

"… I'll just go on an S-Class mission tomorrow or somethin'. You need money the most."

Kindly, Lucy disregarded that. Just because she would have to locate an apartment later and get enough money for rent didn't mean she was… Oh, who was she kidding? She really _did_ need that money. Though she wasn't expecting the same generosity from the annoying cat, she turned to him anyway.

"Nope. I need the money to buy yummy fish! Mira cooks the best fish!" Happy salivated at the thought.

Lucy just sighed in defeat at that. Eighty-twenty split wasn't bad. … Even if twenty percent was a bit much for a _cat_ that might do _nothing_ on the job she selects. And somehow she had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to forbid him from tagging along…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Two updates within (almost) twelve hours. Aren't you lucky, my duckies? XD Yes, I made Laxus go through his attitude change early. What can I say? He's an interesting character to me. Who knows what might be different with him and/or the Thunder Legion around during, say, the war with Phantom Lord?**

 **… And yes, She Who Will Not Be Named does, in fact, have an identity. I might be trivializing her role somewhat by making her playful like this, but I have an idea that might make it a little more than just aggravating Erza. And no, I am not insinuating a harem; this AU, and fic in general, will be pure Natza. Most Natza stuff I like to read haven't been updated in a while, so I'm just letting my ideas run wild for now. … Even if most of the chapters so far have been in one AU.**

 **Ahhh, Natza fluff. I spam it a bit? Most probably. But this has been my most fav chapter to write yet. :P Hope you enjoyed!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Point-in-Time: Post-Galuna Arc**

* * *

As another morning came to Magnolia, a pink-headed Fire Dragon Slayer stirred in his bed groggily. He'd gotten it at Erza's insistence when he got caught sneaking into Lucy's bed a few times after she settled into a nice, cheap apartment. Who knew a bed could be so comfy? Way softer and plushier than his hammock! Even if they were a ton more expensive.

… And as the last vestiges of sleepiness left him, Natsu registered the beautiful redhead, clad in conservative pajamas, once again flush against him as she cuddled him in her sleep with a smile on her face. Oh. Yeah, he'd gotten a double at Erza's behest – it helped that she offered to pay for half the price, as long as he did the same. If he was comfortable sleeping with Lucy in her bed, then he would be happy doing the same with his girlfriend in their bed. Happier, in fact.

Natsu just didn't expect her to be so… cuddly. He really should have, considering that she liked the warmth that came with his Dragon Slayer abilities, but she hadn't failed to cuddle him in their sleep for even one night. … Not that he was complaining. How could he not like to be close to Erza? It made mornings interesting, Natsu mused.

"Erza…" Natsu gently shook the redhead so that they could get started; as per usual since getting the bed, they were starting late. They were forced to adjust the team meeting time accordingly. He gently shook her again when she didn't even stir. "Time to get up."

Natsu sweatdropped when Erza yawned contentedly, nuzzled up against him, and grinned widely with her eyes still shut tight.

"Five more minutes, Natshu. You're comfy… So warm…"

The Fire Dragon Slayer smiled, moved her hair a little, and kissed her on the cheek before a devious idea got into his head. They went through this routine practically every morning, and it took him this long to think of something like that? Freeing up both his hands, the pink-headed teen proceeded to tickle the heck out of his girlfriend. That had the desired effect of waking her up, albeit with her hysterically laughing and begging him to stop.

He did as requested with a grin on his face, and she pouted at being woken up as she sat up. They didn't rise and get out of bed, choosing instead to sit there in silence for a few moments and enjoy their proximity.

"Natsu… I want a child." Erza finally said, which caused Natsu to flush a deep, deep red and splutter. Where had that come from? Taking his reaction to be one of hesitance or outright denial, Erza looked away with a light blush. "I'm serious. I haven't felt for anyone as strongly as you. You… You'd make a wonderful father."

Natsu took a few moments to respond as he tried to get past how unexpectedly this discussion came up. When his brain rebooted so-to-speak, he gave Erza a reassuring smile.

"S-Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to be the one to breach this topic. And so soon! Heh." Natsu rubbed the back of his head and made eye contact with the redhead. "I'm happy you feel the same, but can we wait for just a little bit longer? It's got nothing to do with helping Lucy settle in, or raising enough money for our kid, or anything 'urgent', really… Let's just say I've been preparing something for a while now, and I'm really close to getting it done. I'm pretty sure I could get it done this year, I just need a little more time to make sure it's perfect. Is that alright?"

Erza stared at him curiously, as she tried to discern just what his little surprise might be. It could be any number of things, and her romantic mind was starting to run away from her as more and more possibilities came to her. She even drooled a little at one point, earning a grin from the Dragon Slayer. Eventually she wildly shook her head to return to the present. No matter how nice those daydreams were.

"F-Fine… I can wait a little longer…" Erza relented, and blushed fiercely when he locked lips with her.

She practically growled when he began to pull away after just a peck on the lips. Erza wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him from getting away. She smashed her lips back onto his, delivering a shock to his system. He loved how whenever he kissed her, there was the taste of strawberries; her kisses were just so sweet. Moaning into the kiss just a little, their bodies came flush together again as Natsu recovered enough to hug her firmly around the waist.

For several seconds, their lips rubbed again one another as they took in little pockets of breath between passionate kisses, some kisses even traveling from their lips to their jaws and chins. Eventually, Erza's tongue stretched into Natsu's mouth and experimentally 'battled' with his tongue. Natsu's cheeks reddened when she did that – even faltering somewhat because of how sensual it was for him.

As a result, Erza gained the strength to push him back down onto the bed while she lied on top of him, her legs straddling his waist. She enjoyed this for a good minute or so, but was a little overwhelmed as Natsu's tongue began to dominate hers, moving the 'battle' over to her mouth. Her breaths became labored soon after that, and she was forced to break away just to catch her breath, even though that was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. For a few moments, she just stared at him, panting. When had he learned to do _that_?! Erza only knew how to french kiss because of those… novels… of hers.

At that point, Natsu smiled up at her like he'd just won a competition... Cheeky Natsu. Erza had a cute pout as she looked down at him, as she wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile off his face. They didn't have the time, however, as they were late enough as it was. And she was sooo eager for Round Two.

"… Keep that up, and it's going to be really hard to wait."

"I know, I know!" Natsu laughed as he continued to hug her tight. "It was always gonna be the plan to spring it on you this year, but I guess I'll hafta hurry it up now."

"Yes, you will." Erza said somewhat testily before reluctantly getting off of him and out of the bed. She idly stretched her arms. Her mind was still clearly on that small makeout session they'd just had, and Natsu couldn't really blame her. Erza was amazing! Natsu knew it took two to make a kiss, but he totally felt she was the one that made the kissing so great. She then announced with a slight stutter, and a faraway look in her eye, "I-I'll go shower."

Natsu smiled at her, already making plans to have 'Round Two' right before they left for the Guild; it was only fair to the redhead. Not like he wasn't yearning for it, too. While she scurried off to shower with a flushed face, Happy finally looked out from the little hammock that was hanging over the double bed and locked eyes with Natsu.

"She loooves, you." The blue cat teased, which did not embarrass Natsu as much as it used to.

"I know. That's why I wanna at least give her that thing before having a kid, y'know? Erza, our kid… I just know they'll be happier if it's official."

Happy hummed thoughtfully.

"Erza's gonna go crazy with the plans. You sure you're up for that?"

"Oh yeah! I'm all fired up." He grinned like a loon.

 **Border**

About a half hour later, Natsu, Erza, and Happy made their way to the Guild Hall. Lucy was there, but not Gray, surprisingly. Lucy was at the request board, looking for anything that didn't involve fighting, as she had learned quite quickly that Team Crimson Flame had a tendency to go overboard, which in turn resulted in the reward money dwindling to make up for any damages incurred. That incident in Hargeon was _not_ an isolated one.

Lucy kindly ignored the fact that her summoning Aquarius was responsible for most of the damage to that port.

Regardless, she'd gone on quite a few jobs with Team Crimson Flame thus far. Bandits on trains, saving Macao on Mt. Hakobe, that incident at the Everlue Mansion (which resulted in her getting another Golden Gate Key, the one for Virgo), ruining Eisenwald's plans for attacking the Guild Masters in Clover Town, and most recently Gray's personal attachment to the incident on Galuna Island (Lucy still couldn't believe they dragged her into an **S-Class** job… Erza was right, they were not for rookies)… All of those involved little to no pay. It was the jobs that came after that _slowly_ helped her accumulate money for her rent; she had to go on a lot because of her team's destructive tendencies, and even still she barely had enough to cover her first month.

How in the world did these three (four, counting Happy) cope before she came around? There was no way they managed to do missions that were below S-Class! She had to be the voice of reason most of the time, and she was the new girl!

"Hmm. Hunting a volcano demon sounds about up our ally." Natsu suddenly spoke up next to Lucy, causing the blonde to shriek in surprise and shake her head rapidly.

"NO! You and volcanoes just seem too volatile, and I'll _never_ pay my rent on time!" She wanted to kick him for pouting childishly, but Erza was on Natsu's other side, and she didn't want to spend the next week in the hospital. She was already on thin ice with Natsu sleeping in her bed weeks back. Lucy twitched when the redhead's armored hand inched toward the love horoscope one. "I really don't think we're qualified for that one, either!"

Great. Now Erza was pouting. Lucy sped up her search, because she did _not_ want Gray to show up and offer his input. He was just as bad as Natsu and Erza, if not worse because any 'professional' jobs he agreed to take with them, he ended up stripping and freaking out the clients.

What a tortured existence Lucy Heartfilia lived.

"A translation job? For 500,000 Jewel? Hey, Lucy! We might have a winner!" Natsu waved the flyer at the blonde, but his wrist's motion was stopped by Erza, who then took the request from him.

"Let me see that. That sounds too fishy." Erza's eyes darted over the page, while Lucy just went back to looking for a _reasonable_ job.

"Fish?!" Happy looked around wildly, disappointed with the lack of fish.

That's when Gray and Mira showed up.

"Hey, guys. Mira might have some work lined up for us…" Gray started to say, but was cut off when Natsu snatched the translation request back from Erza.

"Yeah, yeah! We'll get to it in a sec! I bet I can read this, and we'll get 500,000 Jewel easy!"

Erza, on the other hand, was not so optimistic.

"Natsu, that text is ancient, I really don't think…" She twitched when the pink-headed teen cut her off, too.

"Nah, there's some modern-day stuff written down toward the bottom, I saw it! Gimme a sec!" As Natsu proceeded to read out what he could 'understand' (let's face it, he was scratching his head even over what he _could_ read), to everyone's horror except for the cheering Happy, each of the six of them had a rainbow aura appear around them. When the lights died down, nothing seemed to be different.

Well, to the Guildmates that were observing the six of them. To the six that were hit by those lights… they felt really, really weird.

"S-So c-c-cold…" 'Gray' said out of the blue, getting Elfman to scoff.

"What?! Ice Wizards don't get cold, you big crybaby! You need to man up!"

'Gray' seemed rather insistent though, as his powers spiked around his body.

"I-I-I'm serious, y-you guys! T-T-Turn up the heat before I f-freeze to death, p-pretty p-p-please…?"

Lucy was the next one to act out-of-character, gesturing toward her chest exaggeratedly.

"What the…?! What's going on! My chest feels really weird all of a sudden, like it's _heavy_!" The blonde then bent over and whined. "My back's killing me!"

"You okay, Lucy? Your voice sounds awfully low." Macao remarked with a touch of concern.

"Wh-What are you talking about?! I… WAH!" 'Gray' exclaimed as he looked at the hunched-over blonde.

"Where'd the paper go?" 'Mira' suddenly asked, and freaked out when 'she' saw 'Natsu'. "Alright! Who's the wise-guy under that Transformation Magic?!"

'Natsu' giggled as 'he' seemed to comprehend what happened.

"My, my! How very forward, Natsu! You didn't have to let me feel what you're packing below the belt to get a date from me!"

That comment took the cake, as most of the Guild turned to look at Erza warily But surprisingly, the redhead had an… overjoyed expression on her face.

"Wow, Natsu! Check it out!" 'Erza' said with hands on 'her' hips and a catlike grin on 'her' face. At some point the Heart Kreuz Armor had been replaced by Erza's white blouse. 'She' looked to Natsu's body. "I'm as tall as you now!"

'Natsu' giggled again, and 'Mira' looked indignantly toward 'Erza'.

"Can't you tell the real from the fa… What're you talkin' about, Erza? You've always been a little taller than me."

'Happy' had an imposing dark aura surrounding 'him'… Well, it probably would be imposing, if it wasn't Happy's body.

"I don't know what's going on, but Lucy… If that is you in Natsu's body… you will CONFESS, and be severely PUNISHED!" 'Happy' roared. … That came out more adorable than intimidating, which was _not_ what 'he' was aiming for…

'Erza' looked around at everybody and squeezed 'her' breasts ecstatically.

"I could be wrong, but I haven't always had these, have I? Have I?"

'Happy' growled furiously as this got _reactions_ from the likes of Elfman, Macao, and Wakaba. 'He' had a pretty good idea what had happened now, and 'he' wasn't _happy_ about her body being on exhibit!

"WHY YOU…!" 'Happy' lunged with a foot outstretched, and yelped in pain when 'he' smacked into the Heart Kreuz Armor, which had been Requipped back onto 'Erza'.

"Heehee! I've got cool armor, too!" 'Erza' giggled.

'Happy', meanwhile, was having a nervous breakdown.

"I don't understand what's happened to me… I've never felt so tiny and weak before! It's like I've somehow Requipped into a _cat_ …"

"Why do they have to ruin my quality drinking time…" Cana whined from a nearby table. Romeo was sitting next to her.

"They're so cool, they could never ruin anything!"

"Kinda their thing."

"I didn't want to believe it, but each of us has switched bodies!" 'Happy' moaned pitifully. 'He' then turned 'menacingly' on Natsu's body. "Let's get one thing straight, Lucy! If you touch… _anything_ … Your body will **pay**."

"I-I'm o-over h-h-here, Erza!" 'Gray' tried to clear up some of the confusion. Because she _really_ didn't want to somehow reverse this and wind up suffering cat scratches for mischief she wasn't responsible for!

Erza, in Happy's body, blinked as she seemed to take a moment to get all of their identities sorted out. She then narrowed Happy's eyes as it became abundantly clear of just **who** had made that inappropriate comment about Natsu earlier.

" **MIRA**!" Erza tried (and miserably failed) to Requip into her Purgatory Armor. That was the only appropriate form of punishment for her old rival's shenanigans, and she just. couldn't. Requip!

"P-Please wait until we're back in our normal bodies, Erza!" Natsu, in Mira's body, pitifully begged not to be punished.

Erza's – Happy's? – eyes overshadowed as that occurred to her. Her beloved Natsu… was in… Mira's body…

"KEEP YOUR HANDS AT YOUR SIDES, DRAGNEEL! I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU IF YOU FEEL UP ANOTHER WOMAN!"

"A-AYE, MA'AM!" Natsu squeaked and adopted Happy's form of confirmation with a salute. … In Mira's body, that actually didn't seem too farfetched. Frankly, touching Mira's body was the last thing he'd be doing anyway; as weird as it felt being in a girl's body, Natsu didn't want to upset his girlfriend.

Mira, meanwhile, was clutching Natsu's sides and laughing boisterously. Only Erza could intimidate someone from a blue cat's body. This was too hilarious! As if sensing Erza's ire, Mira lightened her laughs and looked at Erza, who had extended Happy's claws again.

"You wouldn't hurt your beloved Natshu's body, would you?" She cutely batted Natsu's eyes… which didn't look natural for the pink-headed teen at all.

Despite how unnatural it looked for Erza, _and_ despite Mira oh-so-casually dropping one of her affectionate nicknames for Natsu, she actually did falter. It might punish Mira now, but Natsu would be the one feeling it later, and he hadn't done anything to warrant such punishment… yet.

Erza sincerely hoped this would be reversed soon. How was she supposed to shower Natsu with love when they were like this?!

 **Border**

We all know how this goes. Makarov returns and reveals that the spell is called Changeling, and reveals that they only have thirty minutes to reverse it, otherwise the change is permanent. Levy and Team Shadow Gear return shortly after, and Levy does her best to reverse the spell for the victims. Fortunately for the victims, Levy botches the spell up enough times that they had a few switches in bodies, which in turn reset the time limit each time.

… Okay, so maybe we don't _completely_ know how this goes.

 **Border**

"What the heck?! I'm Ice Pick now?!" Natsu roared in frustration.

"I-I-I-I'm MIRAJANE!" Lucy squealed ecstatically in Mira's body.

"I am _not_ impressed." Erza grumbled from Lucy's body.

"… Does fur count as clothes?" Gray mused, getting Happy to rush him in Natsu's body.

"NOOO!"

Mira simply pounded Erza's armor with a bored expression… before she got a mischievous glint in her eye, and 'Lucy' tackled her.

 **Border**

 _A few changes later…_

"Natsu? Where are you?" Erza asked from her beloved's body. When she got a nervous glance from her own body, she threw Natsu's body at him and smiled contentedly. "It will be strange, but I can live with this. Let's not risk another change."

'Erza' rubbed the back of 'her' head and blushed. Natsu wasn't entirely comfortable with this arrangement… It'd be like making out with himself. But… It would be loads better than doing it with Gray or… Happy.

"I guess we could make it work." Natsu muttered. "We'd hafta teach each other our Magic to make sure we stay S-Class…"

Stars shined in 'Natsu's' eyes.

"Yes! That sounds wonderful!"

"Speak for yourselves!" Lucy shouted grumpily from Happy's body.

"Whoa. I'm in a chick's body again." Gray muttered as he ran his hands down Mira's sides.

There seemed to be a consensus from the male side of the audience that Natsu and Erza were right about this change (though admittedly they were for more in it for… voyeuristic reasons). Well, except for Elfman, who scowled at the thought of Gray stripping his sister. All the other guys seemed to be cool with it, though!

"L-Let me try this again…" Levy looked over her work yet again, making many a male groan sadly. But to be fair, the blue-haired mage was spurred on by Mira glaring through Lucy's eyes. Those eyes promised that Lucy's manuscripts would burn if she didn't make them change _now_.

 **Border**

 _Eventually.._

It took the better part of a day, but eventually Mira and the members of Team Crimson Flame were returned to their bodies. Once Erza verified Natsu had indeed returned to his own body, she hurriedly dragged him home before someone could cast Changeling again. Happy was quick to follow them, as Mira wasn't exactly _happy_ with some of the antics he had pulled earlier in her body. Lucy cried for a bit that a whole day was pretty much wasted, but was otherwise happy to be back in her own body and to have Gray _not_ on the verge of tearing her clothes off.

Makarov was about ready to burn the scroll when he realized Levy and a few others had been affected by the last use of Changeling. With his grandson and the Thunder Legion having returned late in the day, they were regrettably added to the mess, and the old Guildmaster loudly cursed whoever started this mess, because even _he_ was now affected by Changeling… To be precise, he was in Cana Alberona's body and _loving_ it when he realized it.

Back at Natsu, Erza, and Happy's home, the Fire Dragon Slayer sneezed multiple times as various members of the Guild cursed him for starting Changeling. From the bed that Erza had thrown him on, Natsu blinked and stared back at Erza who was looking at him with an intensity, hands on her hips.

"What?"

"You were in my body, Lucy's body, and Mira's body… Who was the most beautiful?" She wanted his unbiased opinion… and depending on his answer, might or might not punish him for it.

Natsu poked his pointer fingers together nervously.

"Umm… Can't we just forget this whole thing?" Bein' in girls' bodies was _weird_.

"No." Natsu sweatdropped at her bluntness. Oh well, he tried.

"I'm not gonna compare beauty, 'cause that wouldn't be fair to any of you." Natsu replied honestly, before leaning forward and pulling the Requip Mage into bed with him – kissing her forehead while she was shocked. "If it helps, I still love you best. Always have, always will."

Erza sighed contentedly and surrendered to his warm embrace with a smile that went from ear to ear and arms that wrapped firmly around his waist. Truth to tell, she'd rather forget this whole ordeal, too... with the exception of the time she was in Natsu's body, of course.

 **Border**

 **Author's Note: Rejoice, this nullifies the feels from last chapter. :P Maybe the ending's a little lackluster, but I immensely enjoyed the fluffy beginning. I did** _ **not**_ **know I could write that kinda stuff, even remotely. lol Criticize it all you like, but it was my first attempt at a passionate scene like that. I'm sure future attempts would get better with concrit.**

 **WolfGaming, it was brief, but there's that flirty Mira scene for you. XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Point-in-Time: Phantom Lord Arc**

* * *

"Hehehe! Was that an awesome job or what?!" Natsu laughed with his hands behind his head as the team walked down the street, with Erza tugging her big cart of 'equipment' behind her.

"Well, the client sure seemed to think so!" Happy agreed.

"Face it, you guys are just lucky I decided to come along." Gray drawled.

"We're lucky you begged to come with us? How do ya figure?" Natsu placed his hands on his hips and asked incredulously.

"'Cause you were about as helpful as one of Erza's suitcases." Gray muttered.

"You better watch your mouth, or I'll pack you like a suitcase, pal!" Natsu got up into Gray's face, and Gray reciprocated in kind.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Erza got between the two of them, shoving their faces, and consequently their bodies, apart.

"That's enough, boys!" She looked at Gray directly. "Now, please get dressed…"

… Yep. Gray was stripped down to his boxers again – albeit there were bandages covering up some of his chest.

"For crying out loud, why does this keep happening?!" Gray wailed at his recurring predicament.

Lucy approached the three as she held Plue.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your conversation, but…"

"Yeah, what's up?" Gray asked.

"When I took this job, I was originally thinking it could be more of a solo mission, y'know? So why'd you all come along?" Lucy's expression clearly reflected the ire she felt about the whole situation.

"Aw, c'mon, isn't it obvious?" Natsu questioned.

"No, I don't think so."

"We're Fairy Tail's strongest team, so we gotta stick together!" Natsu gave a thumb's up as he looked back at Gray and Erza.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed exuberantly. Gray smirked.

"And don't you forget it."

Feeling she was finally earning their respect, Lucy grinned and nodded.

"Yeah we are!"

… And then Natsu sorta put his foot in his mouth. Not literally, of course. Metaphorically.

"No job is too tough! Not for me, Happy, Erza, 'n ol' Droopy Drawers here!" Natsu gave a closed-eyes grin.

"Don't call me that." Gray flatly replied.

"We are a capable bunch." Erza agreed with her boyfriend.

"True that!" Happy piped up.

"YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME!" Lucy shouted, to which Natsu laughed lightly.

"Lighten up, I was just messin' with ya, Loopy!"

"Well, I don't appreciate it," Lucy grumbled and then shook her fist at Natsu. "And that is _not_ my name!"

"Please, forgive me…" Erza suddenly said with a serious expression. Her fist tightening around the strap tied to the cart. "I did not mean to upset you, I let myself get carried away. It will not happen again! If you would like, you may strike me now!"

Lucy sweatdropped at the redhead's habit.

"Th-That's okay… I really don't think that's in my best interests…"

"Smart move." Natsu and Gray chorused.

A few moments later, the five of them passed by citizens who were whispering and staring right at them as they passed.

"Why is everyone staring at us…?" Gray questioned his team as they walked along.

"It's not the good kind of starin'!" Happy remarked.

"It feels like it's pity…" Erza mused, and they all gaped as the Fairy Tail Guild Hall came into view. It looked strange, with iron rods destructively protruding out of it at all angles.

"No way!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What's happened to it?" Erza wondered.

"I don't understand…" Lucy remarked, truly at a loss.

"Our Guild… Someone did this to our Guild…" Natsu's body began to shake from the anger that was rapidly accumulating.

"Who would do such a thing?" Erza concurred with Natsu.

"It was Phantom." Mira reported from behind the team. When they all turned to face the white-haired barmaid, Gray was the first to speak up.

"Are you serious?"

"You mean… Phantom did this?!" Natsu asked to confirm he'd heard that right.

"We couldn't do anything to stop them… They got us good." Mira whispered quietly.

Mira then guided them to the storage basement of the Guild, where the other members were currently located, nursing their broken spirits. As they were making their way over to Makarov, Team Crimson Flame overheard remarks from Team Shadow Gear.

"We've never been on the best terms with those Phantom jerks, but c'mon!" Jet sighed.

"Wanna teach 'em a lesson?" Droy asked with a bored expression, only to be chastised by Levy.

"Back off, you guys. Don't you think we're in enough trouble already?" She looked between her teammates with concern etched on her face.

Over by Makarov, Laxus was leaning against a barrel with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His Grandpa was currently very drunk and sitting atop a crate.

"Yo! What's up, kids?" The Fairy Tail Guild Master was holding a mug of beer.

"U-Uh… Hi…" Lucy said tentatively.

"Sorry we weren't here sooner." Erza apologized sincerely. Natsu held up a fist in agitation.

"Why the heck are ya all sitting around down here?!" Natsu asked impatiently. Laxus rolled his eyes.

"Don't bother, Natsu." The blond seemed about just as agitated as his fellow Dragon Slayer, but Natsu was at a loss as to why _he_ of all people wasn't out there gunning for Phantom Lord. Makarov drunkenly tilted his head at the blonde Celestial Mage.

"How'd the job go, Lucy? You finish the job like a good girl?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess so…" Lucy replied, uncertain as to how to handle a drunk Makarov.

"Master." Erza tried to reason with him. "Do you understand the gravity of this situation?"

"The Guild Hall has been completely destroyed!" Natsu chipped in.

"There's no need to get worked up. It's not the end of the world or anything." Makarov sipped from his drink. Laxus decided to explain his Grandfather's attitude.

"Gramps doesn't want to incite the Council again." The blond looked to the old man in frustration. "Guilds fighting amongst themselves is like one of the biggest taboos, and he thinks we should just let this slide because no one was hurt. Believe me, I know exactly how you guys feel."

"It just goes to show how cowardly those dunderheads from the Phantom Lord Guild really are… They struck when no one was here," Makarov repeated what Laxus said, as if he missed it. "Is that anythin' worth bragging about?"

"Nobody was here…" Mira quietly confirmed. "They attacked after everyone had left for the night."

"Well, I suppose we can be thankful for that..." Erza said. "At least no one in our Guild was hurt from the attack."

"Let's not trouble ourselves over people who won't even face us head-on! Forget about those fools!" Makarov advised.

Natsu wrecked a crate in his pent-up fury.

"Ain't gonna happen, Gramps! We can't just let these guys wreck our place and get away with it!"

"I'm not talking about this any longer." Makarov stated stubbornly. "We'll handle Guild affairs from down here until the upstairs is repaired."

"We shouldn't be worrying about jobs right now!" Natsu cried, only to get yelled at by Makarov.

"NATSU, THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!" Using his Titan Magic to supernaturally stretch out his arm, Makarov swatted Lucy on the butt.

"And you spanked me, because…?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Hands to yourself, Master!" Mira chided him.

"Hehehe!" Makarov giggled pervertedly, jumped to his feet on the crate, and then ran off with his arms spread out.

"Where you goin', Old Man?!" Natsu called after him.

"Keep yer dress on! I gotta go take a leak!" Makarov hollered back.

Laxus scoffed at the scene, and started to walk toward the stairs. Gray locked eyes with him as he passed by.

"So where's the Thunder Legion?"

Laxus didn't waver in his stride.

"Out on assignment. If you need me, I'll be out getting some air." He replied dully, before adding almost as an afterthought, "Don't do anything rash. As much as Gramps is pissing me off, we should respect his stance… Phantom is an official Guild, just like us. The Council wouldn't look the other way like they did when you wrecked Eisenwald."

The members of Team Crimson Flame stared after Laxus in concern, but the blond just ascended the stairs and ended any further discussion on the matter.

"I don't understand why Gramps 'n even Laxus are bein' like this…" Natsu muttered as he looked down, depressed. Well, he sorta did – Laxus did explain conflicts between Guilds were forbidden by the Magic Council. But still!

"This is just as hard on them, Natsu…" Mira softly replied.

"It's no fair, they started it!" Natsu threw a small fit.

"I know, but it doesn't matter!" Mira reiterated her point.

"If the Master refuses to retaliate… then we must respect his decision." Erza agreed solemnly. Not even Natsu could protest after that.

* * *

Later, when Lucy returned home for the night, she discovered that she was entertaining houseguests… that she did _not_ invite over!

"Fairy Tail is almost like my family now," Lucy told Plue as they entered the apartment. The lights were already on, and her team was seated at the kitchen table.

"I still think you inappropriately lured Natsu to your bed… but he does have a point… You have a nice place, Lucy!" Erza cheerily announced to the blonde, who overreacted and swatted… Gray. She had been about to swat Natsu, but at Erza's stern glance, she thought better of it and struck the Ice Make mage.

"What are you doing here?!" Lucy demanded. Erza was the one to calmly explain.

"Since the Guild has been attacked, we can assume that Phantom Lord members are still in town."

"They probably found out where everyone lives by now," Natsu supported Erza's reasoning.

"THEY KNOW WHERE WE LIVE?!" Lucy had a small panic attack.

"Erza said we be better holed up together," Gray massaged his cheek as he stood back up. "Y'know, strength in numbers."

"I guess she's right…" The blonde allowed.

"That's why Fairy Tail's having a slumber party tonight!" Happy cheerily announced.

"You are an… attractive teenage girl, after all…" Erza said this somewhat warily, subconsciously pulling Natsu and his chair a little closer to her side of the table. "I wasn't entirely comfortable leaving you here alone with Gray, so I felt the only way I could relax was if I stayed here as well. And I refuse to go a night without Natsu."

"It's not time to relax!" Natsu grumbled.

"So it was already decided _Gray_ would stay with me?!" Lucy yelped. "Why'd he have to come to my place?!"

"WHOAAA! You sure have a lot of dirty clothes!" Happy said while he rummaged through a basket of Lucy's lingerie. Plue was innocently sucking on a lollipop nearby.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET OUT OF MY STUFF! YOU BOTH BETTER STOP RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE DEAD MEAT!" Lucy shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Hey, Plue! Did you find something to _eat_?! Don't go hoggin' it all!" Natsu exclaimed.

Happy giggled.

"Look, Erza! I found some frilly panties you might like!"

"I can't believe you wear something like this, Lucy…" Erza said with a fierce blush as she rifled through the basket, all the more determined to never again let Natsu sleep over at Lucy's apartment again… well, except for this instance. Obviously. But he would be sleeping right by her on the floor at all times!

… On another note, maybe Natsu would like to see _her_ in… More blood rushed to Erza's face, making it as red as her hair.

"I need to get some shuteye," Gray grumbled from Lucy's bed. "Can ya keep it down?"

"You guys are taking this 'make yourself at home' thing a little too far…" Lucy whined, embarrassed.

"We have a serious problem here!" Erza suddenly barked, turning to Natsu and Gray in particular as she placed her hands on her hips. "You boys' hygiene. I refuse to sleep in a room that reeks of sweat!"

"I don't wanna take a bath right now…" Natsu complained.

"But I already got into bed…" Gray likewise complained.

"C'mon, boys, do we _have_ to take a bath together like when we were kids?" Erza replied demurely. Lucy was somewhat aghast in hearing this, because the redhead looked like she had no problem with the arrangement whatsoever. … Or Natsu or Gray, for that matter.

"What kind of relationship do you guys have?!"

… Well, she already knew Natsu and Erza were dating, but Gray, too? When they were _kids_? Seriously?

"They're the strongest team!" Happy told the blonde.

"More like the _strangest_ team!" Lucy corrected the blue cat.

* * *

Meanwhile, Levy was walking with Jet and Droy out in the streets.

"Are you sure about this? Shouldn't you stay with Laki and the others at the girls' dorm?" Jet asked the blue-haired mage.

"It's fine!" Levy smiled. "I don't wanna split up our team!"

This got love-struck reactions from the two boys as they began to fight over who would get the honor of 'protecting' Levy. A few moments later, a suspicious shadow leaped down to attack the trio. Yet before Levy, Jet, or Droy could even so much as even blink, there was a bolt of lightning that zigzagged until it came between Team Shadow Gear and the assailant, which then materialized into the form of Laxus, who harshly punched the assailant into a brick wall, kicking up a cloud of dust from the impact.

"Yeah… no." Laxus cracked his knuckles as he faced the opponent who was currently down. "I've been waiting for you to make another move; you attacked Fairy Tail, and that ain't gonna fly. Gramps might be too scared to start something, but there's no way _I_ was going to allow you a free hand. I have your scent because of your little stunt – you are _not_ gonna get away from the beatdown that you have coming to you."

Team Shadow Gear gaped at Laxus's impassioned speech. If… If he hadn't come along… Well. Team Shadow Gear did not like to think about that.

"Kehehehe…" The assailant coughed up some blood as a result from the pounding he had just taken. "Y-You realize… this just means war, right? Are you sure your dear old Gramps will be happy that _you_ instigated it?"

"Right. Like you were just minding your own business." Laxus scoffed, not really caring one way or the other. He was pissed. He strode over to the black-haired teenager and held him up by the collar. "Actually attacking members of Fairy Tail will get you that reaction you've been wanting from my Old Man. He'll be all sentimental about it, but he _will_ be just as eager to fight you now. You idiots don't even realize who you're messing with."

Having spoken his peace, Laxus ordered Team Shadow Gear to go home, and then proceeded to give Gajeel Redfox the thorough beatdown he deserved. He kept the Iron Dragon Slayer alive and in one piece, but that didn't stop him from venting his frustrations on the Ace of Phantom Lord. After a while, Laxus let Gajeel go with his tail between his legs. Then, he proceeded to head home and report the incident to his Grandfather… If he was lectured for his actions, Laxus would just take it in stride. Team Shadow Gear was safe, and he didn't kill the bastard that attacked them, just dished out a beating.

Fairy Tail would _not_ be seen as meek and cowardly. Not if he could help it.

* * *

Though awkward for Lucy, Erza had dragged Natsu off to the bath with her, leaving no room for argument from the pink-headed teen or from the blonde. Lucy tried – _tried_ – to not think of the kinky things they might or might not be doing in her bathtub… or if Natsu put up a fight, that her bathroom wouldn't need repairs. Strangely enough, however, about seven minutes after Natsu and Erza had disappeared into the bathroom, they emerged with towels wrapped around their bodies. Natsu had a faraway look in his eye and was unresponsive when Lucy asked if he was okay; Erza, on the other hand, looked smugly satisfied. She answered truthfully that their shared bath time was strictly business – that is, making sure their backs were scrubbed thoroughly – but she might've omitted a few things. Things that were in no way Lucy or even Gray's business, but there was no sex.

Erza might've teased Natsu a bit, to the Dragon Slayer's delight and frustration (because he was still determined to wait on sex), but it was done in fun. Erza was immensely satisfied to be getting such reactions from her boyfriend, who tried so hard to be respectful all the time. Never once thinking that _maybe_ she _wanted_ him to go with his gut reactions, to be a perv and appreciate her feminine beauty. Erza was working on that, to the best of her ability. Lucy did not guess that this was the case, however; she was trying her utmost best to not think of even the _slightest_ sexual actions taken in her bathroom as she went to take her turn.

Then, after Lucy, and then Gray, had taken their turns, and they were dressed in pajamas (or in Natsu's case his clothes, and in Gray's case his boxers), Lucy took some time to ask about this near-conflict with Phantom Lord.

"If Gramps wasn't so scared of 'em, we could wipe out those punks once and for all!" Natsu grouchily said after Erza vaguely recapped scuffles they had in the past.

"C'mon, you know that Master isn't afraid of them, Natsu! You seem to be forgettin' he's one of the Ten Wizard Saints!" Gray said from the desk where Lucy wrote her stories, clutching one of said manuscripts.

"I never gave you permission to read that!" Lucy swiped the manuscript from him haughtily. Gray turned to her grumpily.

"You can't snatch it out of my hands without at least telling me what happens next!" Gray whined. Lucy was not moved.

"Yes, I can. I promised Levy she'd be the first to read it! So you're just gonna have to wait!"

Erza extended her hand expectantly.

"Hmm?"

"You're not getting it, either!" Lucy exclaimed, clutching onto the manuscript possessively. "So what's the deal with these Ten Wizard Saints, anyway?"

Erza dropped her hand as she explained.

"It's an honor bestowed by the Magic Council, an extremely coveted title shared by the ten strongest Wizards on the continent."

"R-Really?" Lucy couldn't believe it.

"Phantom Lord's Master Jose is one of 'em, too," Happy told the blonde.

 _'That's true… and so is he.'_ Erza thought to herself as she pictured Siegrain.

Natsu slammed his hand down on the table.

"He _is_ afraid! He's scared Phantom has too many members for us to handle!" The pink-haired teen said earnestly.

"Could you please use your inside voice…?" Lucy asked feebly of him.

"That's _not_ true, and you know it!" Gray contradicted Natsu. "It's just like Laxus and Mira said before, the consequences with going to war with Phantom are nowhere near worth the fight. The order of the Magical World is at stake here."

"But I don't understand why. Are they that strong?" Lucy stated, perplexed.

"They ain't got nothin' on us!" Natsu said cockily. "We can take those clowns!"

"No." Erza shook her head. "If we were to fight, neither Guild would survive. Their strength equals ours. Phantom Lord's Jose is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints – which means he's on par with Makarov. They also have an elite group of Wizards similar to our S-Class, called the Element Four. However, their biggest threat may be Black Steel Gajeel. I believe he is most likely the one behind the Guild Hall's destruction. He's known as the Iron Dragon Slayer."

"He's a Dragon Slayer, too?!" Lucy yelped. "I thought Natsu was the only one! So if he's the Iron Dragon Slayer, does that mean he eats iron?"

"Yeah." Natsu replied grumpily before turning to Erza. "But what's that about Phantom being _equal_ , huh?! Sure, they got, like, six strong players, but we've got eight S-Class! Master, Gildarts, Laxus, Mira, Mystogan, and the three of us! And we got tough Wizards that aren't even S-Class, like Lucy!"

The blonde blushed pink at Natsu's praise, but shrank back from a light glare sent by Erza. Gray shook his head at Natsu's analysis.

"Maybe you're right on us havin' eight S-Class Wizards, but don't go forgetting that Gildarts and Mystogan are out on jobs most of the time. Then you have Mira, who hasn't been the same since that time two years ago. That's already three S-Class Wizards down, so you could say we're short one number in terms of _active_ S-Class Wizards that are able to go to war right now."

"I wouldn't count Mira out completely…" Erza lightly chided the Ice Make mage. "I have a feeling that if push comes to shove, she'll get up again when we need her the most. So I'd say we _are_ about even in strength."

"I'mma smack that Iron Dragon Slayer for destroyin' our Guild Hall! Nobody messes with Fairy Tail!" Natsu tilted his head back and breathed out some flames that Lucy worried would damage her ceiling… Thankfully it was only lightly singed from the stream of flames.

Erza sighed at her boyfriend's obstinance, got up off of Lucy's bed, and walked over to the pink-headed teen purposefully. He looked up at her when she placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Just relax… There we go." And just like she would on a train, Erza punched him in the gut to knock him out. She then scooped him up by the legs and carried him over a corner of the carpeted room farthest from Lucy's bed. Erza then set him down gently and laid next to him while possessively hugging him and shooting one last suspicious glance at Lucy before announcing, "Time for bed. You touch Natsu or wake us up because of something trifling, you will be punished."

Lucy sweatdropped as a few moments later, Erza was snoring softly while smiling serenely as she snuggled with Natsu. The blonde shot one last look at Gray, who just shrugged and slept on the floor, too, over by her writing desk. Happy, on the other hand… was in her laundry basket.

Lucy now had the predicament of suppressing her enraged shrieks due to the cat's shenanigans, otherwise she would be 'punished' in some way. Growling at the stupid cat, the blonde went to turn off the lights and sleep in her bed.

* * *

The following morning, Team Crimson Flame made their way to the Guild, only to discover Makarov 'rallying the troops' so to speak now that they had arrived. Quite contrary to his attitude yesterday, but if the grim-faced Laxus standing beside the old man was any indication, something had happened at some point last night that had caused the Guild Master to change his stance.

"Phantom has gone too far by attempting to attack Levy, Jet, and Droy! Attacking _my_ children! If it hadn't been for Laxus's timely assistance, they would have been grievously injured by Black Steel Gajeel." The old man took a brief moment to stare up at his grandson in gratitude, while the other Guildmates gossiped about that information. "I know I was initially angry with how you reacted to the situation, but as I've reflected on it, you reacted no differently than I would have. For that, you have my thanks, Laxus.

The blond Lightning Dragon Slayer grunted in acknowledgement, but otherwise kept his eyes focused on the assembled members of Fairy Tail. Makarov turned back to face them as well.

"This slight against Fairy Tail will not stand! I will no longer stand idly by as Jose sends more of his men to hurt you all. From this moment on, we go to war with Phantom! We will end what they have started!"

As Fairy Tail supportively cheered their Master's declaration of war, Lucy looked down and internally worried over how this conflict would end, clearly remembering Erza's explanation the night before. They were about evenly matched with Phantom if Erza's assessment was correct, so could they really do this? Even with Laxus having taken Gajeel down a peg?

"We'll be fine, Lucy." Erza assured the blonde as she placed a comforting armored hand on her shoulder. "I know I sounded pessimistic last night, but if there's one thing Natsu has taught me over the years, it's that we can turn any situation around as long as we have the strength to get back up. Phantom has dared to try and hurt some of our friends. Our _family_. Master's right – that is one slight that can never be forgiven, much less if they had actually succeeded."

Natsu grinned at both Erza and a dumbstruck Lucy before turning to lock his eyes with Laxus, ever thankful that the blond had opened up to them again. As if feeling Natsu's eyes on him, the blond nodded once before the strongest of Fairy Tail mobilized as a group, with only a few staying behind as they weren't quite ready for a conflict of this magnitude. Lucy was only somewhat surprised to find herself with the group going after Phantom; she still had doubts about her relative strength to the rest of her team, but apparently they thought highly enough of her to involve her in this dispute.

Regardless of whether she wound up on some other team in the future, Lucy was determined to repay the kindness shown to her by Team Crimson Flame.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I know, I know… Lucy having thoughts about switching teams? Well, to tell the truth, I've been neutral about her from the beginning. In this AU, her team is S-Class while she is not – I think any 'sane' person would feel somewhat humbled in the face of that. Why take this long to decide to leave the team? Well, Phantom Lord Arc, speaking purely from a plot standpoint, is the perfect crossroads for making such a decision. Phantom is all about getting Lucy back to her father – and in turn, Lucy is determined, in the end, to stand up to her father.**

 **Lucy can either decide that, hey, she isn't as powerful as Natsu, Erza, or Gray, but screw it, she's come to like them even in spite of their… eccentricities.** _ **Or**_ **she could decide, in addition to standing up to her father, that she can 'stand up' to her own team and admit that she needs some time to grow on her own before returning to the team, as it currently stands that she is nowhere near their league. That they frequently have to bail her out on the tough missions.**

 **Yeah, this is kinda a response to the Guest who mentioned they wanted Lucy to leave the team, just outlining my thoughts. Personally, either way, Lucy will be sticking with the team; it's just a matter of how she does it, in my eyes. Both ways show courage – the first that despite all the tough missions to come, she's willing to stick with them through thick and thin; and the second that she wants to gain experience without them before rejoining them on said tough missions. The second way wouldn't involve Lucy going solo, per se; she'd likely join another team in the interim, like Team Shadow Gear, but she would** _ **eventually**_ **return to Team Crimson Flame.**

 **… Yeah, I'm undecided for now. Might do a few chapters of Phantom before reaching any kind of decision on that; I would not mind input from any of you, but do know I will be keeping an open mind to both possible routes. As usual, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^^**


	8. Chapter 8

**Point-in-Time: Phantom Lord Arc**

* * *

The Phantom Lord headquarters is located on a hill outside of Oak Town. The building itself is actually a magical technological marvel that can become a mobile fortress on six legs. Yet in addition to that, it is also fitted with a powerful weapon known as a Jupiter Cannon, capable of causing mass destruction and slaughtering large groups of Wizards at once. Jose Porta, Head of the Phantom Lord Guild, plans to use their home base to his advantage in the coming conflict, taking out Fairy Tail and capturing Lucy Heartfilia in one fell swoop.

"Are you sure you want me to be the one out there, Master?" Gajeel asked skeptically, with bandages peeking out from under his clothes and some on his face. "If one of those S-Class punks stays behind to lead that mob of idiots…"

"Gajeel, my boy, do not fret." Jose told the Iron Dragon Slayer sternly. "They will never suspect that girl of being our main objective, and by the time they try to stop you, it will already be too late. Based on my projections, they will leave Titania to lead the troops while Makarov comes to seek me; I suspect their other three S-Class mages will come in after him, concerned that the Element Four are not out there fighting. We will fire the Jupiter Cannon once you are out of range, and Titania will most likely intercept the blast, saving her comrades but leaving herself and her comrades vulnerable from another shot from the Jupiter Cannon fifteen minutes later. By that point, it will be checkmate, and Fairy Tail will be no more."

Gajeel grunted at his Guild Master's intricate plot, thinking about how 'even' the two Guilds seemed to be. Jose's machinations hinged on everyone doing their part, and he for one questioned if they would be able to pull it off. Aria was their trump against Makarov, and quite possibly Laxus, but there would be a period where those three S-Class Wizards could overpower Totomaru, Sol, and Juvia. If they wrecked the Lacrima that powered the Jupiter Cannon… they would need to rely on Abyss Break. And by that point, the spell could be significantly slowed down depending on how many of the Element Four were taken out.

Talk about a potential clusterfuck. Jose was pulling a real high wire tightrope act here. A part of Gajeel didn't even give a damn because he'd get some payback on those Fairies. Screw 'what could go wrong', he'd do his part, and he'd do it with a twisted grin on his face…

* * *

"They were expecting us?!" Gray cried out as Fairy Tail neared Phantom Lord's headquarters and saw the amassed Phantom Lord members outside waiting for them.

Erza narrowed her eyes at the sight.

"Gajeel must have taken Laxus's warning to heart. We can't let our guard down." Erza cautioned her Guildmates. "Who knows what Jose could be planning?"

In the next moment, Laxus snarled furiously and surged forward in a bolt of lightning that crashed into a multitude of Phantom grunts and sent many flying in all directions as he rematerialized and unleashed a great burst of Lightning from his body. Others soon followed Laxus's lead and unleashed some of their long-range spells to thin out Phantom's ranks some more. Makarov in particular used his Titan Magic to grow to the size of a giant and bowl over and strike enemies without mercy.

"Fairy Tail's come calling…!" The Guild Master roared.

Cana, Loke, Macao, Wakaba, Alzack, Bisca, and Elfman were making waves of their own, and as a result of so many Phantom grunts being beaten back, Natsu was beginning to notice a lack of 'true' opponents.

"Where's Gajeel?! I've got a score to settle with that metal freak…!"

"Don't get carried away, Natsu. We can't afford to be careless here." Erza lightly chided him before agreeing that something was definitely off. "There's no sign of the Element Four, either. Or Jose for that matter."

"Are they seriously just gonna wait until we storm their headquarters?! Talk about a bunch of cowards." Gray said with disdain.

Natsu snorted and powered up one fist with fire and the other with lightning.

"Well, I'm not gonna wait around! If Gajeel won't come to me, then I guess I'll go to him!"

Erza shook her head.

"It would be safer to deal with the enemies out here, and then storm the building together. I don't like the thought of rushing in recklessly in this instance…"

Gray watched solemnly as Lucy went to aid Team Shadow Gear by calling out Taurus. She'd definitely be better out there, but the three of them? And Laxus and Gramps?

"I hear ya, but if we expend too much energy on the cannon fodder, we're not gonna be in any shape to take on their elites. I think we should just spring whatever their trap is now and get to see all of their cards. Sitting here and twiddling our thumbs won't do any good for everyone who's fighting so hard right now."

Erza knew Gray had a point, but it didn't shake the uneasiness she felt. She turned to Natsu to inquire what he planned to do, but before he could speak up, Makarov called across the battlefield, having made it over to Phantom Lord's headquarters.

"Erza! I leave the rabble to you!" Makarov then smashed open the door to the Guild and shrank down to his normal size. Laxus was close behind him, intending on battling with Phantom Lord's elites.

Erza stared after the Guild Master in concern, but Natsu was quick to assure her.

"Me, Gray, 'n Laxus will watch out for him in there, okay? Just take out the trash out here, and watch over our friends! Jose can't take on a two-pronged assault!"

Erza took a deep breath, but nodded with determination clearly reflected in her eyes.

"You always know what to say when it counts. Thanks, Natsu."

Natsu flashed her a grin before Happy swooped down and carried him off to the Guild Hall. Gray went after them by making an icy path and sliding around the chaotic battlefield. Watching them for a few moments more, Erza then turned to the battles going on in front of her and Requipped into her Black Wing Armor and bearing a blade in her hands. It was time she got to work as well.

* * *

Soon after Makarov and Laxus stormed in, there came a barrage of rocks from their right side, which Makarov easily blocked by expanding his right hand using his Titan Magic. When the barrage came to a stop, Makarov lowered his hand and glared at the green-haired man in a brown suit.

"So, the Element Four were holed up in here, after all." Fairy Tail's Guild Master remarked as Laxus cracked his knuckles. There was only one down there in the pub area of the building, but the other three were doubtless lurking about elsewhere.

The green-haired man bowed in an unnatural way, demonstrating his body's unique flexibility.

"Oui, Monsieur! I am Sol of the Element Four, and I have been given instructions to allow you further inside, Master Makarov! I will keep your grandson entertained in ze meantime, no?"

Makarov spared a glance at the blond young man who did not back down.

"Fine by me. If I get done early, I'll just go find another of these losers and beat their faces in. Equivalent to our S-Class my ass."

Makarov locked eyes with Laxus for a few moments longer before staring straight ahead past Sol.

"Do not become complacent. I have little doubt that you will emerge victorious, but please do not get reckless. The Element Four did not achieve their titles through sheer luck – even if you handily defeated Gajeel, the teamwork of the Element Four can be formidable."

"I got it." Laxus grumbled as he charged up his first attack and made his mouth open wide. "Lightning Dragon's Roar!"

Makarov took that moment to head past Sol, trusting his hotheaded grandson to take care of the enemy elite. He would need to conserve his strength for Jose, because there would be a reckoning. The man wanted a war, and Makarov was all too willing to give him one now.

Shortly after Makarov disappeared further inside, Natsu and Gray showed up to witness Laxus and Sol going at it. Natsu cracked his knuckles and prepared to jump right in, but Gray held him back.

"Idiot! There's three more of the Element Four lurking around in here; let Laxus handle this one. We should make sure Gramps can get up to Jose, 'cause he's probably the only one that can take on that punk."

"… Yeah, okay." Natsu agreed a little moodily as he spared one last glance at Laxus before running after Gray.

At this development, Sol chuckled and straightened his monocle after evading another attack from Laxus.

"Tres magnifique! All is going according to plan!" The green-haired man gushed and stretched around another beam of lightning. Laxus growled lowly as he rushed the man to test his physical prowess.

"What plan?" The blond was surprised when his opponent grappled him with equal strength.

"Ze utter destruction of your Guild!" Sol answered ominously, pissing Laxus off even more.

* * *

It didn't take Natsu and Gray very long to run into the next obstacle. The Fire mage of the Element Four – Totomaru. When a stream of fire came raining down on the two of them, Natsu gobbled the flames right up and then promptly complained about the quality of them. Something about 'stinky flames'.

"Alright, I was gonna leave this guy to you, but after force-feeding me that crap, I need to teach this jerk a lesson! So you go on ahead!"

Gray rolled his eyes at his rival's bravado.

"Natsu, word is this guy can control fire – and I'm not talkin' about stuff that he creates. I mean he can control _your_ fire. It's probably best if you just let me handle him. I tangle with a Pyro like you regularly, so this guy will be a cakewalk in comparison."

Lightning sparked to life around Natsu's fist as he held it up for Gray to see.

"Nuh-uh. I called dibs. You go find your own playmate. There's two more elements for you to choose from, right?"

Gray gave Natsu a dry look, yet conceded the Pyro had a point about his second lightning element. That would be a way to get around Totomaru's pyrokinesis. Totomaru, in the meantime, was twitching violently as the two squabbling teens ignored him wholesale. Nooo, he wasn't going to stand for this. Damn it, he was one of the Element Four! He would not be ignored by a couple of pitiful Fairies!

Totomaru used his enhanced speed to get in close with Natsu; he ducked the pink-headed boy's punch, but he failed to anticipate Natsu's follow-up attack – a spinning kick that sent him crashing into the wall several meters away. Natsu yelled tauntingly at the Element Four member.

"You call that an attack?! Erza woulda slapped me silly if I came at her with my guard wide open like that!" Natsu laughed as the enemy Fire mage simmered at the taunt. He then turned to Gray again when the Ice Make mage had yet to leave. "Get outta here, Ice Prick! Can't leave Gramps outnumbered three-to-one, right? Well, four-to-one if Gajeel is in here, too. I can't smell 'im, though."

Gray sighed, but acknowledged Natsu's point. They did promise Erza they would back Gramps up. There was no guarantee that Gramps could take on Jose, Gajeel, and two of the Element Four at once; as much as he wanted to stop and tag-team this punk, they needed to take down as many of these guys as possible. Fastest way to do that was one-on-one battles; Gray wasn't entirely sure he liked the alternative of letting these guys regroup.

A pity that Gray's first opponent would be of the 'love at first sight' variety…

* * *

Makarov finally arrived at Jose's control room after being directed there by Juvia, and stood across from the seated man with a stormy expression. His Magical Power, was welling up, generating quite the light show and causing the building to shake, and crack and crumble in various places. There were two others in that room aside from Makarov, and despite the masks covering their faces, they seemed intimidated by Fairy Tail's Master.

"JOSE!" Makarov roared.

Jose, on the other hand, looked as calm as could be. He had his hands clasped in his lap as he stared impassively at Makarov.

"Makarov, I know what this seems like to you, but there's no need to get all worked up. I've had a change of heart, you see – bury the hatchet, if you will."

"YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?!" Makarov didn't power down in the least; if anything, his power kept intensifying. "MY CHILDREN ARE FIGHTING OUT THERE AS WE SPEAK!"

"Because that is what children do best." Jose responded smoothly. "They don't stop to consider the complex motives of grown-ups. If I just met you outside with all of your children hanging off of you, they wouldn't have been able to stop themselves from attacking anyway. So I left my men for them to vent on, and have instructed my Element Four to let no one else pass. It's nothing personal, I just needed a private audience with you."

Makarov's suspicious glare did not waver, but his voice did become more 'controlled'. Which is to say, it was still loud, but it didn't threaten to shake the room with every word.

"You have my attention." Makarov replied curtly, planning to unleash an attack at a moment's notice.

"Well, as you know, your grandson trumped my Dragon Slayer. Imagine my surprise when he comes back from destroying your Guild, and he is all battered and bruised! Attacking your precious children was never part of the plan, but it appears Gajeel was too eager… Rest assured, I have properly disciplined him for his actions, and it will not happen again." Jose silkily promised. When Makarov continued to glower, Jose went right on talking. "I would rather avoid a fight between two of the Wizard Saints, so what do you say we call a truce? I would never claim to be so lucky as to _ally_ with your Guild… You've gotten revenge for the destruction of your Guild as well as the attack on your children; so how about we just bury the hatchet and go our separate ways?"

Makarov didn't answer right away, but when he did, it was to extend his arm using Titan Magic and harshly punch the Lacrima behind Jose that sat next to two orbs of energy. Jose whipped around to see the Lacrima crumble from the strike.

"Do you take me for a fool, Jose? You couldn't uphold a truce to save your life. Your animosity towards Fairy Tail runs too strong. And based on your reaction to the destruction of that Lacrima, I just derailed your plans."

Jose's mood considerably darkened at that. He'd gotten complacent, and now they would have to bust out the Abyss Break spell right away.

"Bully for you, Makarov, but you're still dancing in the palm of my hand. The loss of the Jupiter Cannon for this fight is unfortunate, but I had a feeling we wouldn't be able to rely on it. We'll just have to rely on the Super Mage Giant Phantom MK II…" Jose gestured grandiosely at the room in general, but truthfully he was referring to the headquarters as a whole. "Behold, the destruction of Fairy Tail! This very building will be the instrument to that end!"

"No, wait…!" Makarov cried out distressingly. Suddenly sensing a presence behind him, Makarov craned his head to see a large man in green about to cast some kind of spell. _'Where did he come from?! I couldn't even sense his presence!'_

"It's… so… sad! _So sad_!" The man cried with rivers of tears pouring down his face. There was an explosion of Magical Energy, and Makarov felt horribly, horribly weak and feeble as he laid in the crater left behind by the explosion. "It's so heartbreaking…! Why am I suddenly feeling such melancholy?! It must be because the world just lost a great Wizard!"

Jose scowled and glared down at the drained Makarov.

"Sorry, Makarov, but this was always the plan to have Aria of the Heavens take you out of the picture. He has the ability to drain all Magical Powers, you see. Just sit back, relax… and observe as your precious children fall before Phantom Lord."

Soon after Jose finished saying this, the building began to rumble and move. What the headquarters was actually doing was digging out its mechanical legs from the earth so that it could then easily transform into a giant robot mage. Jose smirked maliciously as he envisioned the Fairy Tail mages faltering at the sight of Phantom's greatest weapon. Aria wept all the while…

* * *

Erza reeled back in shock as the Phantom Lord headquarters _stood up_ and began to transform. She had been expecting Phantom to have some kind of trump card, but their own headquarters?

"Everybody get back!" She sharply commanded the Fairy Tail mages, not liking this turn of events one bit. Erza spared a glance up at the building, worriedly thinking to herself, _'Natsu… Master… Please be safe.'_

The only thing that kept Erza from rushing in was her Guildmates out there; the Master entrusted her with their wellbeing, and she would not abandon them. Erza trusted Natsu to be able to handle himself, but a Guild's headquarters capable of transformation would unsettle anyone. Was Natsu having a bout of motion sickness as this was going on? In all likelihood, he probably was, and who knew what kind of fighting could be going on in there?

Erza didn't like it one bit. And neither did her fellow Guildmates, if their faces were any indication. Phantom's common mages were scattering despite their incessant cheering. It appeared as if things were going to get much, much worse before they got better.

Gajeel made his move around this time, knowing exactly what was coming. He needed to get the Heartfilia brat out of there before Abyss Break was unleashed, or Jose would lose it. Gajeel was uncaring about the many eyes on him as he jumped down and captured the blonde, knocking her out and slinging her over his shoulder. Fortunately for him, Scarlet wasn't anywhere near Lucy or even peripherally aware of his actions as of yet; she seemed lost in thought. Greatest stroke of luck all day.

The Iron Dragon Slayer booked it out of there, despite the mages that attempted to stop him. That one blue-headed girl that he'd almost attacked the previous night stood out. But Gajeel beat them back and just ran; he had no time to play around. Elfman charged after him, though that didn't particularly worry Gajeel. He was about the only pursuer, since the other Fairy pansies had their panties in a bunch about headquarters transforming into a giant robot. Easy pickings if it ever came to a one-on-one fight.

Little did Gajeel know, however, that it would not remain a one-on-one fight…

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm not super happy with how this came out, but it got the job done of introducing the war. Basically, when Fairy Tail went after the one building they first attacked in canon, they found it empty, save for one hapless grunt that was left behind to guide the Fairies to the real battle site, and that's where the story picks up, really.**

 **You might be wondering how they'll handle Jose with Makarov out of the picture, but that should become clear in the coming chapter(s). Dunno if I could or even should wrap it all up in one chap. :P But we'll definitely be seeing most of the Element Four struck down next time. And Mira, who was conspicuously absent here. I've got plans for Mira in the near future; poor Gray. Mwahahaha… XD**

 **Looking forward to wrapping up Phantom, though! For my decision on what to do with Lucy, just look at Chapter 11's AN. I did change my stance on her role in this AU. :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**Point-in-Time: Phantom Lord Arc**

* * *

"I see… So that's what happened." Erza scowled and berated herself for not registering Gajeel's sudden appearance and subsequent departure. If she had been more diligent and conscientious of her surroundings, Lucy wouldn't have been captured in the first place! Erza sighed as she looked back at Levy. "Unfortunately, I can't go after them. That would require bringing everyone along with me, and we can't afford to abandon the Master, Natsu, Gray, or Laxus. Master tasked me to watch over everyone, and I have clearly failed in that already – so I will allow you, Jet, and Droy to go after Elfman and Gajeel. You may take a few others if you think it will help. I'm so sorry."

Levy gave the redhead a reassuring grin.

"It's okay! We were all blindsided by that massive… thing." The blue-headed mage said as they watched the robot finish its transformation. "Thanks for the go-ahead, though! We'll make sure to bring Lucy back!"

Erza nodded firmly, and the three members of Team Shadow Gear ran off with Nab, Reedus, and a few others. Cana, Laki, Macao, and Wakaba were among the ones that stayed behind with Erza, all determined to storm the fortress if they had to. Unfortunately, the situation became grimmer as the 'robot mage' began to write a Magic circle in the air. A type of spell – and Erza recognized it right off the bat.

"That's Abyss Break! And one of that size…! They'll destroy some of the very town they're supposed to protect! Are they mad?!"

 _"Attention, Fairy Tail Wizards."_ Jose chimed in through a speaker, getting the attention of all the Wizards, both inside and out. _"This will be your only warning. Allow Gajeel Redfox to return with Ms. Lucy Heartfilia, or you will all be exterminated. I am not a merciless monster, but if you try my patience, you_ will _be eliminated. I will not ask you again."_

"Does he really just expect us to roll over?!" Wakaba asked incredulously. Beside him, Macao shook his head.

"They probably have something planned to keep us pinned here; I don't even want to imagine what might have happened to Master Makarov…" He suddenly stiffened as he realized he had let that slip in front of Erza. He rapidly waved his hands about in front of him. "I… I'm sure he's fine! It's just…"

Erza's face was solemn at this point; she knew that with Jose making that announcement, there was the chance something _had_ happened to Makarov. Clenching her fists in determination, Erza glared toward the enemy fortress. Either way, she was not going to sit here and let Jose unleash Abyss Break on them all. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken more than a few steps forward when the air seemed to shimmer a couple meters in front of her, and a man in green appeared with Makarov cradled in his arms. A very sickly-looking Makarov. To compound this grave insult, the man had the gall to _drop_ the Master like he was nothing!

"It's… It's so sad!" Aria wept eccentrically as he faced down his opponents, prepared to use Metsu to drain the Fairies of their Magic to get them to give up.

Erza was in a tumultuous gaggle of emotions. Grieved that their Master had fallen in battle. Furious at the ones responsible. Concerned about what Natsu might be facing in there right now. It was easy for Erza's friends to see that she was frozen up in this whirlwind of emotions, and Cana was the spokesperson for all of them as she began to attack Aria by throwing exploding cards at him.

"We need to take this guy down and get in there! C'mon, guys!" There were roars of determination as everyone except for Erza rushed the leader of the Element Four.

More amused by the attacks than threatened, Aria decided to not employ Metsu just yet. There was some time to play around before Abyss Break was unleashed; why rush? If he stepped on enough toes, perhaps even Erza Scarlet would join the fray, and he would have a real challenge!

With that in mind, Aria started repelling their attacks and unleashing Zetsu attacks left and right. Not a single Wizard would slip past him and get into headquarters.

* * *

"What's wrong with _you_?" Totomaru asked derisively as Natsu miserably hugged the floor and appeared green in the face. The Fire mage of the Element Four then realized that the building _was_ technically moving… Totomaru laughed uproariously as soon as it dawned on him, and he brought a hand to his face. " _Wow_. How pathetic that an _S-Class mage_ has motion sickness! How can you handle going out on jobs? Your Guild must be really proud of you!"

"Shut up, prick…!" Natsu made a face as he tried to not puke his guts out. Happy chose that moment to swoop in and get Natsu off the floor; almost immediately the Fire Dragon Slayer was feeling much better. "Oh thank Kami! Just hang in there, buddy, and I'll take this jerk down super-fast!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy chirped, while Totomaru scowled and conjured a fireball in one hand.

"You do realize you gave me two friggin' bullseyes, right? All I have to do is… Whoa!" Totomaru leaped out of the way as Natsu came inches from punching him in the face, as he used fire to propel himself forward by channeling it through his fists. The only reason Totomaru didn't attempt to control them was because Natsu came at him so fast that he couldn't react in time. Thankfully for Totomaru… he was fast. Faster than Natsu. "Try that again and see what happens, ya punk!"

Funny thing is, Natsu did try it again. Just as Totomaru was flapping his gums like that. Totomaru tried to gain control of his flames, but Natsu cut out the power to them at the last moment and just used Happy's natural flying speed to get in close and smack Totomaru in the face with a lightning-charged fist. The man was left dazed for a few moments as he went flying, but he quickly regained his composure and barely got control of his flight and landed on a wall with his feet just as Natsu reached him again, but this time his entire arm was coated in fire and lightning. Totomaru had drawn his blade to try and block Natsu's strike, but the attack was devastating enough to snap the sword in half _and_ smash him through the wall with ease.

"Lightning Fire Dragon's Firing Hammer!" Natsu named the attack, and he did not let up for a second even after landing such a devastating blow. He struck the Fire mage of the Element Four again and again in quick succession. "Flaming Elbow! Dragon's Claw! Iron Fist! Wing Attack! Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

Totomaru endured the blows as best as he could, but there was an immense power behind each one. And as he wound up against another wall, Totomaru struggled to make a comeback. However, Natsu was prepared to make the finishing move now that his opponent was backed into a corner again.

"You mess with Fairy Tail, and you're gonna get burned! Try and control this!" He engulfed one hand in lightning and one hand in fire; he then brought the two together and declared the name of the attack. "Lightning Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

Not expecting what was to come next, Totomaru could only make a feeble attempt to control the hand covered in flames. The man cried out as a destructive blast surrounded and electrocuted him. The wall behind Totomaru got hit pretty hard, and it crumbled to reveal just another room behind it. When all was said and done, Totomaru crumpled to the ground with a twitchy eye, gasping for breath. When he did not get up after that, Natsu grinned victoriously and pumped a fist in the air.

"We did it, Happy! Let's go help out one of the others!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy gave his usual affirmative, but in the next moment the building gave a final big lurch, and the blue cat wound up dropping Natsu on accident. "Wah! I'm sorry, Natsu!"

Natsu was twitching and waiting for his motion sickness to subside, but it surprisingly wasn't as bad this time. He tapped the floor with his fist experimentally, and then grinned when he didn't puke his guts out.

"Hehe! This stupid thing stopped moving! I dunno what's going on out there, but we need to go see how everybody else is doin'! Droopy Drawers could probably use some help." Natsu chuckled in amusement, but then immediately sobered up when Jose's voice could be heard coming through a speaker. That couldn't be good.

* * *

Meanwhile, Laxus was having troubles of his own. Similar to Natsu, the blond suffered from motion sickness, and he chalked it up to the fact that they were both Dragon Slayers. Maybe there was no correlation between the two, but no one in his family was known to have it, and he doubted that it was a spontaneous, unlucky trait of his, so… Yeah. All Dragon Slayers must suffer from motion sickness, which was just the dumbest thing ever. In Laxus's opinion, anyway.

"Mon dieu! How tragic that ze grandson of Makarov Dreyar has such an ailment!"

… And this loser _really_ wasn't making him feel any better.

"Shut your… mouth…" Laxus growled as he managed to stay on his feet, unlike Natsu. He was just incapable of moving, to be brutally honest. So long as the fortress was moving, anyway…

Sol wobbled back and forth elastically as he continued to taunt Laxus.

"Well, now, if you will not make a move, then I shall take ze initiative! Roche Concerto!" Sol cried out as he threw another barrage of giant rocks at Laxus, bowling him over and making him skid across the floor. Laxus glared at Sol and gritted his teeth, but the most he could manage to do was sit up straight, and even that was a rather shaky effort. Sol shook his head from side to side exasperatedly. "Non, non, non… What would your dear Grandfather z'ay, hmm…? How about we ask him!"

Sol proceeded to create an Earth Statue in Makarov's exact likeness. Laxus snarled at this, having a pretty good idea what mind game Sol would be playing… It wasn't exactly a well-kept secret that there was a rift between him and his Grandfather a couple years back; even this scumbag must have heard some of the unsavory arguments they'd have about how the Guild was 'progressing'.

"Laxus. What's wrong with you, boy? You complain about the Guild going soft, but have you _looked_ at yourself? You're a disgrace to Fairy Tail!" The imitation of Makarov proceeded to really dig into Laxus. The Lightning Dragon Slayer could feel his anger rising, but even so, it wasn't quite enough to struggle past the damn motion sickness.

And then Sol made it even worse by making an Earth Statue of his father. Ivan.

"I gave you that Dragon Slayer Lacrima, and this is how you repay me? You don't deserve it!" Frankly, Laxus hadn't felt any affection for his old man in years… He wished he could understand why Ivan had been banished, but he'd decided a long time ago that his Gramps had a reason for everything. It was made all the clearer when Natsu and Erza had made S-Class together, followed by Gray last year.

Laxus wasn't the same as he was two years ago. Far from it. But even so… Sol was pushing him over the edge as left and right he recreated images of various Fairy Tail mages to play his sick mind game. The Thunder Legion. Mira. Erza. Natsu. Gray. Porlyusica. Sol just kept pushing. Tauntingly telling him that he and Makarov had 'stepped' on him on their way inside, and that's when he read Laxus's memories.

It was a pretty sadistic plan Sol had going on, but one thing you never, _ever_ wanted to do was rile up Laxus. Natsu was known to occasionally be able to power through his motion sickness, and Laxus did just the same as he finally snapped and charged Sol with an enraged roar. Lightning sparked off of him, and his muscles bulged; he plowed straight through the fakes and caught onto Sol before he could slip into the floor, pulling the green-haired bastard back out and then smashing him back onto the floor. Again. And again. And _again_.

Laxus got tired of that and eventually settled for continually punching Sol in the face with a lightning-charged fist. Sol was begging for mercy at that point, and frankly Laxus wasn't in the mood for giving any. But finally, the blond Dragon Slayer violently threw Sol into a stone column and called them 'even'. The Earth mage of the Element Four moaned painfully and stayed on the ground… He really wasn't up for continuing the fight. Especially since the fortress had since stopped transforming while Laxus was busy pounding away at him.

Oh well. He might be down, but he doubted his comrades would fall before the Abyss Break. Aria especially…

Ignorant to Sol's musings, Laxus walked away after recovering his jacket, which he'd discarded in his rush to pound the Earth mage. He had to check on the Pyro, since he no doubt suffered as well from the building shaking. Gray would better handle himself, the blond had no doubt.

* * *

Gray scratched his head as he hovered over the downed Juvia. She hadn't been a bad fight per se… But at some point during their battle, Juvia lost her composure when he brought up the fact that Mira had helped him get this far. And, well… for once he wasn't worked up over a fight, so he gained the edge as Juvia was making unintelligible rantings about defeating "Love Rival" and beating her into the ground or something.

Yeah. Gray didn't know what was up with that. It's not like Juvia's attacks were very effective against him anyway; not when he could freeze every last one of 'em. Well, except for the boiling water stuff. But by the time Juvia busted that out, she was already beaten; he froze her over and then released her after a while. Largely 'cause she'd seemed to give up the fight against him.

Gray didn't know what was going on out there, but he'd wrapped up his first fight. Now he had to regroup with the others – or at least go see if Gramps was alright.

* * *

Erza had been snapped out of her stupor when Aria viciously tortured her Guildmates. Her first thought had been to order a tactical retreat; their Master was down, Natsu and the others hadn't come back, and Phantom was gearing up to unleash the largest Abyss Break she had ever seen. What's more, there were now phantom-like apparitions swarming the battlefield to replace all of the mages that fled earlier, so the need to escape was all the more pressing.

But Erza noticed something as she gazed up at the Abyss Break spell being drawn in the air. It was slowing down considerably. It was just a theory, but based on the fact that nothing had happened out there aside from the apparitions appearing, Natsu and the others had to be doing something in there to make the fortress slow down. It would make sense that such a large Abyss Break would require more than one Wizard to maintain it, and who better to entrust such a powerful spell to than the Element Four? Abyss Break made use of the four elements, combined them. If they had to beat the Element Four to wreck that fortress, then Erza was determined to do her part, since one was here before her.

It would also make her feel better to crush the man who had disrespected her Master so. With this thought in mind, the scarlet knight dashed forward and harshly kicked Aria in the stomach, getting him to teleport a bit further away from her comrades.

"Everybody get back. Ward off these phantoms if you have to, but leave Aria of the Heavens to me." She looked toward the towering man with a very determined face as she Requipped a sword into her hand.

"The mighty Titania. So you are out here!" Aria chuckled as he brought his hand up to his blindfold, and then tore it off. He opened his eyes and started channeling a spell around himself that intensified the air and kicked up ample amounts of dust. "I'll need to start getting serious now… Not one of you will escape Zero: Airspace of Death! It consumes the lives of all who dare to enter!"

"A spell that consumes life…? Tell me, how can you do this?! How can you take lives so easily?!" She pointed her blade at Aria, who merely smirked back darkly at her. "You scoundrel!"

"It would be more fun to show you…"

Cana was among the rare few who weren't blown back by the intense winds, and she called out to the redhead in concern.

"Erza!"

"Let's see how well you handle _this_ , Titania…!" Aria unleashed a sparkly wind that Erza simply dashed through without being affected. When she got close enough, she swung her sword precisely and cut through the Zero airspace. Aria was so shocked that he took a step back in fear. "But how?! She's cutting through my airspace!"

Erza leaped high up into the air and Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. She then slashed fiercely at Aria with the two blades in her hands, and unleashed a barrage of blades all at once at the scoundrel.

"Blumenblatt!" She cried out as she flew past him. Aria screamed in agony as he took all those attacks at once, and he crumpled to the ground in defeat. Half-turning to her fallen foe, Erza coldly remarked, "Someone like you could never hold a candle to the strength of our Master. You'll only be remembered as a sobbing coward who fell by my hand!"

"That's… so sad…!" Aria moaned out. In the next moment, the Abyss Break spell shrank in on itself and vanished, much to the joy of the Fairy Tail mages. Phantom Lord headquarters then came crashing to the down as it seemed to lose the power source that was holding it up – namely, every member of the Element Four.

After the building had come smashing into the ground, Erza looked at the ruins with a mixture of determination and concern for her fellow S-Class Wizards within those walls. They must have taken down the other members of the Element Four, but that did leave Jose and Gajeel. In other words, Phantom still had an edge on them, no matter how slight. She would need to trust Elfman, Levy, and the others to handle Gajeel, to keep Lucy out of the hands of Jose. But Phantom Lord's Master… one of the Ten Wizard Saints… Did Natsu, Gray, and Laxus have the power to overcome him together?

 _'… They have to.'_ Erza thought with finality as she looked to Makarov, who was being carried to safety by Macao. The Master wouldn't be able to help them in this fight; she was stuck watching over everyone down here, as the overwhelming number of phantoms were now moving in to attack. Jose might have lost his greatest weapon, but they still had an uphill battle to win. Erza brought a hand to her chest and closed her eyes solemnly. _'Natsu, give Jose hell for me. For all of us.'_

Erza rematerialized the many blades that attacked Aria, and sent them out at the approaching phantoms, thus starting their offense once more.

* * *

Gajeel had long since stopped running from the Fairies giving him pursuit. He merely wanted to get distance from the Abyss Break spell, but when headquarters came crashing down making the biggest racket ever, Gajeel knew for a fact that it was just him and Master Jose against the Fairies now.

 _'Quality vs. quantity and all that crap…'_ Gajeel thought in annoyance. Most of the pursuers shouldn't have even bothered coming after him; he beat down just about anyone that tried to sneak past him to retrieve the Heartfilia girl. Nab, Reedus, Jet, Droy, Levy… Too many small potatoes.

But there was one that didn't get smashed down right away. The big guy that liked to boast about his Takeover Magic, even though all he did was transform his arm. Gajeel loathed how they seemed even in brute strength; what's more, he was still wounded from the beating that Dreyar's grandson had given him the night before. His Iron Club didn't seem to be doing the job, so Gajeel branched out into other attacks. Iron Sword, Iron Lance, even his devastating Iron Roar – Elfman kept getting back up and charging him. So the Iron Dragon Slayer stepped up his game and covered his whole body in Iron Scales. _That_ tipped the battle in his favor, as he seemed to have even more power behind each strike with the Scales.

And just as Gajeel was going to beat Elfman into submission… the friggin' Demon Mirajane showed up. He just couldn't seem to catch a break.

"Elfman!" Mira called out in distress, horrified to see her remaining sibling getting violently beaten up.

"M-Mira…!" Elfman wheezed out after Gajeel struck down hard on his ribs. "Wh-What are you doing here?! Your Magic…!"

Gajeel paused in his beatdown of the big man to glance curiously at the poster girl of Fairy Tail. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard very many battles that the eldest Strauss sibling had been involved in within the past couple of years. He grinned as Elfman's comment seemed to be the missing piece to that puzzle. If something happened that caused the infamous Demon Mirajane to lose her powers, then he had nothing to worry about. He could wrap up with the pansy at his feet, and move onto walloping one of Fairy Tail's 'finest'.

That was the plan. At least until Mira started to get worked up. Mira came out to Oak Town because she was worried about everyone; based on the fact that Lucy had been kidnapped and Elfman was being pummeled mercilessly, she had good reason to be. With a fierce expression that the Fairy Tail Wizards hadn't seen on Mira in the past two years, she looked to Levy.

"Get Lucy out of here. I'll handle Gajeel."

Levy remained frozen in place at the tone in Mira's voice. She couldn't just let Mira handle Gajeel on her own! The Iron Dragon Slayer scoffed at what he interpreted as bravado from the eldest Strauss Sibling.

" _You're_ gonna handle little ol' me? I'd like to see you try." He stomped on Elfman's ribs for good measure, but was floored when Mira actually performed her Takeover Magic. Putting up his guard did little good for Gajeel as Mira took flight and smashed into him with an enraged cry.

After that, Levy and her teammates hurriedly scooted over to Lucy to get her out of harm's way. Nab and Reedus struggled to do the same with the injured Elfman, and they all left Mira to tear into Gajeel for all of his transgressions against Fairy Tail. Let it not be said that the Iron Dragon Slayer didn't put up a fight; it's just that in his less-than-pristine condition and Mirajane's worked up state, he couldn't keep up.

Gajeel Redfox had lost… _again_ …

* * *

Meanwhile, deep in the headquarters of Phantom Lord, Natsu, Gray, and Laxus had all regrouped at what was presumably the control room to the whole complex. Natsu and Laxus sniffed it out, as Makarov had been there before; Gray got his directions from an all too happy to help Juvia. The trio didn't hesitate as Laxus kicked down the doors to confront the Master of Phantom Lord. The man had foregone his eccentric uniform to face down the trio of Makarov's elites in attire more befitting of one of the Ten Wizard Saints; in addition, there was a heavy, dark aura about him. The last of his minions had left him, so it was just the four of them in that control room, and Jose did not look amused in the slightest.

"You boys have thrown a wrench into my plans… I hope you realize that you will be paying for the damages done to this hallowed hall. But don't worry. You'll be too dead to care, and so will your friends; they'll be right behind you." The dark-haired man said all of this with a stormy expression.

"Like we're just going to let you hurt any member of our Guild…!" Natsu shouted defiantly. "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

"DEAD WAVE!" Jose deflected the oncoming beam of flames with a flourish of his arm that generated a wave of ghosts to pierce through it. "I will not tolerate such insolence from a Guild that pales in comparison to Phantom Lord! The best Wizard Guild in the country! Now just roll over and die!"

Natsu, Gray, and Laxus scattered as Jose sent another Dead Wave their way, with it annihilating the wall that was behind Natsu. Gray took the small opening and materialized many swords that were made of ice.

"Ice Make Unlimited: One-Sided Chaotic Dance!" Gray unleashed all of the swords on Jose, forcing the Shade user to move his hand about in an arc before him, an attack called Dark Pulse, which caused an explosion directly in front of him that destroyed all of the projectile swords.

Laxus then followed up with a Lightning Dragon's Roar while Jose was seemingly distracted. Natsu fired off a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame to make the attack more devastating. Yet when the dust settled, Jose was still standing and looking none the worse for the wear; realizing that Jose had no scent, which only meant that one was a thought projection, Laxus and Natsu both looked around as they tried to pinpoint Jose's position. The Master of Phantom Lord had used the cover of smoke to get in close with Gray.

"Shade Entangle…!" Jose ensnared the Ice Make mage with a trio of ghosts and cruelly began to crush him with a constrictor-like grip as Gray attempted to free himself.

Laxus transformed into a bolt of lightning to get over to Jose and punch him harshly into a wall with a lightning-infused fist. While the man was pinned to the wall, Natsu charged up both lightning and fire in his mouth and unleashed one of his most devastating attacks.

"Lightning Fire Dragon's ROAR!" Natsu cried out as a massive blast of fire and lightning burst out of his mouth and cut a broad swathe of destruction as it surged toward Jose and annihilated the wall he was pinned to. This also had a side effect of bringing down the ceiling, as well as sections of adjacent walls. The control room, for all intents and purposes, was now thoroughly wrecked, and the clear skies overhead were now visible.

The trio of Fairy Tail mages waited until everything settled down before deciding if it was over or not. They were very fortunate they did not drop their guards fully.

"Quite the devastating attack…" Jose was revealed to be to their right now, towards his original position. He was clasping an injured arm that came as a result of Natsu's attack. "I nearly didn't make it. You are commended for pushing me that far, Salamander; I don't think anyone but Makarov has accomplished such a feat. But you are clearly exhausted after that, and so I will honor your achievement… by ending you…"

The moment Jose attempted to strike Natsu with a Dark Pulse attack, Gray interfered with his aim by suddenly changing the floor beneath Jose's feet.

"ICE MAKE: FLOOR!"

Jose slid ungracefully just as he made an arc in the air with his hand, and the subsequent explosion went off a couple meters off of his intended target. Laxus surged forward in another bolt of lightning to strike at Jose while he was in the air, but the Wizard Saint conjured a Dead Wave to send him flying back the moment he rematerialized.

Gray followed up with Ice Make: Geyser, but Jose proved once again to have good reflexes as he anticipated where the spikes were and grasped his hands around two of them while performing a backflip in the next moment. As Jose came descending back to them, he generated another Dark Pulse, this one aimed at Gray and actually hitting the Ice Make mage dead-on. The Wizard Saint then landed in a crouch and surveyed his foes coolly. He had to hand it to Makarov, this was the most challenging fight he had had in six years. Nevertheless, he had never been more sure of his victory; these boys had earned their S-Class rank, but there was a wide gap of experience and overall power between S-Class and Wizard Saint. They might've possessed the potential to be Wizard Saints, but they simply lacked the time to live up to that potential.

Because Jose was going to end them right here.

"Y'know, I could almost believe that you're on par with my Grandfather." Laxus spoke with an even voice as he strode past Gray and Natsu, who were both catching their breath. "You're a conniving worm that planned things out rather masterfully. I'll admit – you got us good. But you flew too close to the sun and got burned to a crisp; you could _never_ hold a candle to Fairy Tail _or_ my Grandfather."

Jose grit his teeth at Laxus's almighty arrogance. Did the brat have a death wish? _No one_ addressed him in such a manner.

"You dare…" He gnashed his teeth again as the blond coldly cut him off.

"I'll even be a nice guy about it. Gramps would give you a chance… so I'll give you to the count of three to kneel before us and admit defeat. All of your underlings are defeated or cowards, and you won't be getting your hands on Lucy ever." He calmly closed his eyes and crossed his arms while Jose seethed. "Let's begin, then. One."

Natsu and Gray had no idea what Laxus was up to, but there seemed to be an ominous aura pouring off of him. Whatever he was planning, however, they suspected he would need to be protected, because Jose was powering up an impressive dark aura as well, ghosts appearing all around him.

"I will not be made a fool of, you pretentious brat. You will die before you can even get to the count of three!" Jose sent forth his most powerful Dead Wave attack, using both of his arms.

"Two." Laxus opened his cold eyes and generated a strong orb of light between his two hands.

Gray blocked one side of Jose's with Ice Make: Rampart, and Natsu met the other with Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame. When Jose's two-pronged attack cut through both of their moves and edged ever closer to Laxus, the Wizard Saint laughed arrogantly.

" _You_ should be kneeling before _me_! But I suppose your death will suffice!"

"Three." Laxus said with finality and glared down Jose. "I invoke… Fairy Law."

To Jose's shock, his powerful attack dissipated as it came into contact with the light, but it did not stop there. The light grew brighter and brighter, and soon the skies overhead became overshadowed with a huge Magic Circle that shown down on all the phantoms and Fairies battling outside Phantom Lord headquarters. One by one the phantoms dissipated as the light consumed them, getting the Fairy Tail Guild members to marvel at the event.

"It must be somebody from our side!" Bisca deduced as they all began to relax. Erza nodded at her and smiled in relief.

"It's Fairy Law, a spell that vanquishes darkness from sacred light. It only vanquishes those the caster sees as their enemy. Incredible, isn't it? It's one of the most legendary spells in existence."

No one could form a response to that, so they respectfully stayed silent and watched as the light soon faded. Back in the ruins of the control room, Jose was now cowering as he shakily covered the top of his head. He was staring in utter disbelief at Laxus, and his hair was distinctly lighter than it was before. Laxus was still glaring at him fiercely, and both Natsu and Gray were staring at their ally in amazement. To think, the Lightning Dragon Slayer had a spell like _that_ in his arsenal… even if he did look exhausted after casting it. After all, even if he could use it, Laxus was in no way on his Grandfather's level. Not yet.

The Old Man would probably be tearing into him for casting Fairy Law so casually… But it needed to be done. Phantom could not get away with their transgressions.

"You will never bother Fairy Tail again. Gramps has too much on his hands with running the Guild to have to bother with scum like you. The Council's gonna be on both our asses for the chaos created here today; my Old Man would probably say something like, 'Be on your best behavior,' but I won't hold my breath. Just… never mess with us again." The blond turned around and addressed Natsu and Gray as he walked away. "Come on. We should check on Erza and the others."

Natsu and Gray shared a look before hurriedly following after Laxus. Jose did nothing to impede their departure. Phantom Lord… had lost the war.

* * *

 **Author's Note: …. Longest. Update. Wooow this took me a bit. XD I felt sorry for making so many of the fights so anticlimactic, but when you think about it, Erza did beat Aria in one strike in canon. And Natsu and Gray are S-Class, not just S-Class potentials, so of course they had easier times in their fights with Totomaru and Juvia. And Laxus, well… Tell me he would have a hard time against someone like Sol. I double dare you. XD**

 **That being said, I did try to mess with Laxus's head a bit to make it 'realistic' enough, just not to the point that he would regress back into the arrogant recluse he was.**

 **Now… Just to address a few things, since I unfortunately didn't get around to the epilogue of Phantom. I won't be making a chapter revolving around said epilogue, because it would be pretty darn close to how canon portrayed it, just with a few minor alterations that will be explained vaguely next time. If you don't want to be spoiled, I would suggest turning around, because I'm going to delve into it a bit here as kind of a preview to make up for any confusion in my last major AN.**

 **I said Lucy would be demoted to part-time on Team CF. What some of you may be thinking is that she will be 'part-time' in the same manner as Gray – that is, you might think she will** _ **frequently**_ **go on missions with the team. Nope, nope, nope. Upon reflection, perhaps 'part-time' was too strong a word for what's going to happen; we will be seeing Lucy again, just not as much as I've been featuring her. And by seeing less of her, I mean** _ **a lot less**_ **. After all, she'll be undergoing a 'team switch' similar to what Gray will going through. I won't spoil Gray, but I feel I need to correct any misconceptions about Lucy.**

 **Lucy will be joining Team Shadow Gear come the conclusion of this arc, which as I said will be** _ **vaguely**_ **summarized next time. Natsu and Erza haven't changed their minds about her as they still want to help her out, but the war with Phantom served as a wake-up call for the Celestial Spirit mage. She's practically deadweight compared to the other members of Team CF, so she will be going with people more on her level, to help her actually get stronger, because as it stands she is not growing very much. And this is not to say she will be growing at a rapid rate upon joining Team Shadow Gear, but she will find that it is a much better fit for her. She gets along with Levy, Jet, and Droy, and they are less inclined to destruction, so reward money isn't so much depleted to cover repairs. Moreover, Lucy feels now she won't be holding Team CF from the big assignments that come up; she won't be another damsel in distress unless someone goes after the Heartfilia fortune… again…**

 **As for any Gate Keys Team CF may acquire, they might work out a 'system' with Lucy to earn them, like taking the occasional mission with them. Nothing too hard, it's really just an excuse to hang out with her since she's still a friend. Y'know, Team CF unique brand of awkwardness.**

 **And like I said, Gray will be leaving the team, too, more or less, barring special circumstances. … But I will enjoy expanding on that next chapter as we get into Tower of Heaven. I've already got a** _ **VERY**_ **fluffy scene written up for the chapter. Likely the fluffiest by far in this collection. Sooo… Look forward to that. Hope this chapter didn't bomb!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Point-in-Time: Tower of Heaven Arc**

* * *

"You sure about this, Lucy?" Natsu asked as he held the tickets the blonde had pressed into his hands. "Ya should at least keep one… Heck, you should come with us!"

Lucy sweatdropped as she waved off Natsu's concern. She was more at ease without Erza boring holes into her skull with her suspicious glares. The redhead seemed lost in her own little world at the mention of 'beach resort', so she wasn't completely there mentally as she stood next to Natsu.

"Aw, it's okay. I'd like to go, but I couldn't possibly leave Levy, Jet, and Droy behind. You guys helped me transition into Fairy Tail, so just think of this as my way of repaying you both for everything you've done. There's a ticket for Gray, too, and one other friend, so go have fun! You guys deserve it after that mess I caused with Phantom."

Natsu sobered up as Lucy said that, and so did Erza for that matter.

"We never blamed you for that, Lucy." Erza told the blonde in confidence. "The blame lay at the feet of your father and Phantom; you should in no way feel responsible for following your dreams."

Lucy nodded in gratitude, but no matter how many times they said it, she would always feel a little bit responsible for causing the Guild so much trouble. Master Makarov had gotten hurt pretty bad, and Porlyusica had berated him for being so reckless. Not to mention Levy and the others got hurt by Gajeel because he was trying to spirit her away. Still, she couldn't deny much of that incident had been borne out of Phantom Lord's blatant hatred for Fairy Tail.

Suddenly remembering something, Natsu snickered as he sidled over to Gray, who had just walked up to the three of them. He elbowed the Ice Make mage playfully and held out a ticket to him tauntingly.

"You wanna come with us, Ice Cube? It'd be a few days from you-know-who."

Gray scowled at the reminder as he swiped the ticket from Natsu.

" _Of course_. Unlike you, I actually deserve the vacation. You don't know what it's like to go on a mission with _her_! She's been draggin' me around everywhere since that crap with Phantom, and it's like she doesn't have an off switch!" The Ice Make mage felt an involuntary shiver travel up his back as he felt a distinct… _presence_ lurking behind him. "She's… right behind me, isn't she?"

Natsu nodded fearfully as he backed away from Gray. He might pick a fight with anyone and everyone, but there were some people that simply warranted wariness on his part. Mirajane diving back into taking S-Class Quests with gusto was one such person.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Gray," The white-haired beauty said silkily with a saccharine grin. While he was frozen stiff, Mira calmly plucked the ticket out of his hand. No protest on his part. "But I guess you have a point. We could use the break, and since they're offering to take the only other member of Team Mira along with them… I'll just have to tag along."

Inwardly, Gray sobbed. A few days, that's all he wanted. Mira was the only one capable of dragging him away from Team Crimson Flame, and part of that had to do with obligation; Mira made him S-Class material, so the least he could do was ease her back into taking missions again now that she had her Magic back. Only problem was that Mira didn't seem to understand the concept of 'easing into' something. Every time they came back to the Guild, she'd take a _few_ S-Class Quests from the board, and they'd be away for days at a time. No chance to slip away with Natsu and Erza, just missions taken with Mira. Day after day…

"Who said you could come along…?" Erza asked with a scowl. Oh, that was another thing… It seemed that to an extent, the rivalry between Mira and Erza was revived. They were still friends, even a rivalry couldn't erase the past two years. It's just… Well, Mira took Gray away from the team. Of course there was going to be some… competitiveness.

"What's the matter? Scared Natsu might like seeing me in a bikini?" The two were now up in one another's face and glaring at each other with a spark of electricity travelling between them. Natsu and Gray sweatdropped at this sight.

… Oh, yeah. And instead of Mira being grateful to Erza for 'taking care' of Gray in her absence, the eldest Strauss Sibling acted like it was an act of theft of the highest offense. It might be hilarious if it wasn't the Demon Mirajane and the infamous Erza Scarlet going at it like Natsu and Gray on most days. Elfman was smart enough to not join back up with Team Mira in the face of this reborn rivalry; though part of that had to do with feeling 'unmanly' for not being able to beat Gajeel on his own, so he was still taking missions on his own in the hopes of someday soon attaining S-Class.

Let it not be said that Elfman cared for his remaining sister any less, though. He was just somewhat unsettled with how easily Mira's older self was returning, bit by bit. Thank Kami family seemed to be spared from Mira's renewed competitive streak… at least for now.

"… I'd better get our stuff packed." Natsu sighed as his girlfriend was about to erupt into a fight with her rival at any moment. He would not be able to get in-between them like Erza did with him and Gray much of the time; best to just let the two vent out the rivalry and cheer her up with his thoughtfulness.

Gray had a similar resigned expression as he went off in another direction.

"I'd better tell Freed Mira will be away for a few days. Poor guy took it hard enough that she didn't want to join the Thunder Legion when her powers came back." Both teens nodded in 'shared suffering' and went off to do what they said they'd do. As expected, neither Erza nor Mira even noticed their departure. Lucy sweatdropped as the spark travelling between the pair's eyes seemed to intensify.

 _'I am sooo lucky Levy made that offer to join Team Shadow Gear when she did. I don't think I'd be able to take two Natsu's and two Gray's.'_ The blonde thought with a chagrined expression before walking off like she hadn't seen anything.

* * *

Akane Resort, Fiore's most popular vacation spot, where its citizens can relax and enjoy themselves in a number of ways. Both its amusement park and the adjoining hotel are rated First Class. One visit to its white sand beach will make you want to come back again and again. All of this overlooks the ocean water, sparkling as far as the eye can see.

Despite any initial hostility between the two teams, the four humans and blue cat actually had a fun day under the sun. Natsu and Erza buried Gray under heaps of sand, and then went out into the water on an inflatable raft that Mira proceeded to mischievously push along, giving Natsu motion sickness. After that, the four played some volleyball and ran along the beach before Mira dragged Gray off to the amusement park, leaving Natsu, Erza, and Happy to spend some time at the beach – time that Happy spent munching on fish, and Erza spent getting a tan while Natsu built a huge sand fortress.

Juvia had secretly come along as well, watching their antics from a distance. She swooned when Natsu had stolen Gray's swimming trunks at one point, and followed Gray and Mira to the amusement park when they split off from Team Crimson Flame. Overall, everyone had a blast.

* * *

The sun was now setting on Team Crimson Flame's first day at Akane Resort. Everyone was in their rooms getting ready to go to the casino to play around a little… Well, everyone except Natsu, who was kind of just standing right outside his and Erza's shared hotel room and gazing down at a small box in his hand. He sent Happy off to enjoy some fish he fished for, and he was now mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. He'd wanted to propose out there on the beach at any time during the day, but he kept putting it off as something he could do 'later'.

It just didn't feel right to do it with Mira and the Ice Prick around.

Well, the day was almost done now, and Natsu still hadn't gotten around to it. Could he even go through with it? Of course Erza loved him; he knew that all too well. He could tell she loved him _a lot_. Hell, Erza wanted a kid! But this…? This was kind of going 'all the way' so-to-speak. This went beyond dating and even having a kid; this was a commitment for life. At least Natsu liked to think it was.

His stomach was in knots, and his heart was pounding, but Natsu still had a good feeling about this. Probably the worst that would happen would be if she wanted to postpone it, to date a little longer. He had to stay positive, or he'd just get cold feet again and 'hold off' until tomorrow. So Natsu pocketed the box and steeled himself as he opened the door to their room to see Erza in front of the mirror, checking herself out in the purple backless dress she'd be wearing down there. She smiled at him when he entered.

"So, what do you think?" She posed a little for him, and Natsu got a smidge glossy-eyed. She'd look good in about anything, but… Damn.

"You look great." Natsu answered in all honesty, making Erza lightly blush at the compliment. He then closed the door to Erza's slight confusion, as he hadn't packed any dressy clothes to change into, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Um… Before we get down there, I wanted to ask you something. Y-You… You might wanna sit down for this, I dunno."

Natsu laughed sheepishly, knowing Erza was all the more curious now. Still. She acquiesced and went to sit down on their bed and watched him come over. It wasn't that hard to tell he was a bundle of nerves; knowing him for seven years allowed Erza to see past practically any of his masks. But even with her knowing that, Natsu kept it together as he kneeled down on one knee, brought the small box out of his pocket, and placed it into her hand gently. Flicking his eyes upward to meet her shocked gaze, Natsu chanted inwardly that he could do this as he went on speaking. Damn his nerves to hell.

"E-Erza… You've been my girlfriend for the past two years, and have been my best friend for, like, three times as long! I know the first few years I was kinda a handful, but you postponed on becoming an S-Class mage 'cause you didn't wanna go ahead of me. You knew I had a lot to work on, and still ya put in all that effort just for me. I wouldn't be nearly as strong if it wasn't for you." Natsu took a deep breath as he tried to finish what he had to say. "But you're so much more than the girl that whipped me into shape, y'know? We've been a team for a while now. The best of friends! You've put up with my motion sickness, all those brawls I start in the Guild, and even my habit of speaking while I'm eating.

Natsu knew he might just be rambling now, but he'd rehearsed this so many times in his head. Thought real hard on what exactly Erza meant to him. And despite how nervous he was feeling, he was speaking the complete unblemished truth in both his voice and his eyes as he maintained eye contact with the redhead.

"I was kinda scared of you at first – to be honest, you're still scary when you're mad, heh – but beneath that stern shell, I found a girl – now a woman – that really cares for Fairy Tail with all of her heart. She's livid whenever someone messes with her strawberry cheesecake, determined to punish anyone who deserves it, and she can get lost in thought sometimes. And I still can't help but love you so much, 'cause you've done so much for me! You didn't just make me strong, but ya helped build my house! Ya covered for me 'n Lisanna when we were hatching Happy's egg. Ya put up with all my crazy Igneel hunts, and you're awfully quick to help me in a fight if it gets intense. And sometimes even when it doesn't! You're beautiful both inside and outside, and I really, _really_ can't imagine life without you. That's why I know there's no one I'd rather be with. S-So… Will you marry me?"

Erza was absolutely floored at this point. She hung on every last word of Natsu's, and she really wasn't sure how, because she swears she should've gone comatose by now. Not just because of what he was saying about her, but because of the ring in the box – it was made of gold and studded with a gorgeous ruby. If she looked closely enough, the ruby was stylized very carefully to look like a small flame. Where did Natsu manage to get his hands on this?! He hadn't spent any money from their savings as far as she was aware. Something like this had to be very, very costly, and she didn't even have an _inkling_ that this is what he was up to!

Erza was feeling lightheaded at this point, and her gaping mouth felt very dry as she tried to form a response – any sort of response. This was undoubtedly the surprise Natsu was planning for her, but she hadn't quite dared to hope he would actually propose. It seemed too soon in their relationship, but after Natsu's speech… She felt silly for thinking so. Erza blinked as she realized that Natsu was still staring into her eyes expectantly, and knew right then she'd been silent for possibly minutes now. She needed to give him an answer before he got the wrong idea…!

"N-Natsu…" Erza desperately worked her mouth, trying to even think about the right words to say here. The rest of her body was just frozen up. "I… I don't know what to say. I'm completely overwhelmed!"

… That hadn't come out like she wanted. But it was the truth; her brain was fried to a crisp after that proposal. It made her feel all warm inside, and made her heart beat a mile a minute. She furiously wracked her brain for a more proper response; Natsu was starting to frown in confusion with her going quiet again, and she absolutely _did not want him to get the wrong idea_! When words seemed to fail her, Erza just went with instinct. She snapped the box closed and pressed it back into his hand, wrapped her free arm around his neck, and leaned in her head to kiss him strongly. Firmly, but very much lovingly.

Needless to say, the very sensual kiss made Natsu accidentally drop the box on the carpet. He struggled to restart his now-frazzled brain and kiss Erza back at the same time. He still didn't have a definitive answer, 'cause the kiss could mean one of two things still, so he just enjoyed what he could get for now. He was now on both knees as they locked lips; his other leg just gave out on him. Eventually, Erza pulled back and smiled softly at him, cupping one of his cheeks with her hand.

"Natsu, I gladly accept. How could I say no? It doesn't feel right to just be dating anymore; I feel we've been beyond that for a while. We live together, sleep together, spend practically every waking hour together! I would be lying if I said marriage had never crossed my mind. You're… the only one for me. You put up with so much, and you still feel this way about me! Thank you so much, Natsu. I love you with all of my heart." Erza finally found the words to describe what she felt. If Natsu's shocked face was any indication, she had gotten him back for that wonderful proposal. Erza pulled him in for a hug and breathed in his scent affectionately as she rested her head on his shoulder. Natsu wrapped his arms lovingly around her waist and held her tight.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. When they parted, Natsu picked the box up off the floor, reopened it, and delicately placed the ring on her hand, grinning as he did so.

"Thanks, Erza. I was kinda scared you'd want to postpone it or somethin', 'cause I know we're young."

"Well, I didn't dare to believe this is what you were planning." Erza said as she stared at the ring in admiration. "You said you were preparing this? Does that mean you made it?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well, I got the ruby from an S-Class Quest I completed on my own when you were sick or somethin'. I felt like it would be awesome to use it to make a ring, so I went to Gramps about it. He hooked me up with some of the village jewelers, and they were eager to help me after I told 'em about you – didn't drop any names for your sake. I told 'em it would be cool if I could make the ring myself, and they thought it was an interesting idea, so they went along with it, tellin' me everything I'd have to do. It was really hard to get the ruby to look like what it is now, 'cause it is _not_ easy working with something so tiny. They gave me a discount on the supplies to make the gold ring; so it was forged by my fire. That's why you mighta been wondering what my project was, 'cause I didn't take the money all out at once. I was really careful about it. That stuff is not cheap under normal circumstances, and I still had to shell out quite a bit, in my opinion. I'm supposed to take you to meet the jewelers, though, just so they can 'meet the lucky lady'. Ehe."

Erza stared at Natsu in wonder as he spoke truthfully. He did all of this for her, and he still wondered if she would stall the wedding? Not after he sold it so well! Not after… _everything_ he had done for her!

"I'm going to do make a ring for you. It's only fair." Erza said while pouting cutely. Natsu laughed softly and nodded his head.

"That's the other reason they wanna meet ya. They figured you'd say that, and they'll walk you through what they did with me. Took me a year to complete it, but after I said you were a swordswoman, they said it might not take as long for you to cut up whatever jewel you choose. I was just clumsy." Natsu smiled bashfully, only for Erza to lock lips with him again. It made Natsu glad, 'cause Erza usually showered him with kisses when she was really, _really_ happy. He supposed Erza had the right to be, given the circumstances, but it still served as confirmation that she wanted this. That she wasn't just trying to make him happy.

When Erza broke away for breath again, she looked at Natsu with intense longing. He had a feeling he knew what she wanted…

"… If we weren't expected downstairs, I would not be able to stop myself, Natsu. In fact, part of me wants to abandon those plans and just stay here with you; I don't even care what Gray and Mira would think." She paused as she seemed to seriously consider this change in plans. Erza twitched slightly as the temptation was becoming too much to bear, a trace of drool was coming out of her mouth. "… Convince me to go down there. Please. I don't think I can take it any longer, Natsu…"

Natsu sweatdropped at that. He knew Erza wanted to have a kid, but really? Right here, right now?

"Um… Okay…" He nervously smiled as he tried to wrack his brain for a solid reason. "Well, Gray and Mira are expectin' us down there."

"Something came up. We were overwhelmed with exhaustion." Erza said almost in a trance-like voice. Natsu blushed at what she was getting at, but tried a different tac.

"You like to gamble, right? Perfectly good casino waiting down there just for you."

"I love you more."

Natsu wasn't too surprised at this point. 'Course Erza didn't love gambling more than him, but she never shied away from it before. … But then again, this was kinda his fault. Him 'n his runaway mouth that conveyed his heart to Erza. He probably should've waited until after they spent a little time down there, but he was tired of saying 'maybe later'.

"There… There might be strawberry cake at the buffet?" He smiled somewhat in relief as that seemed to have Erza torn in two. Erza could never resist her precious cheesecake, even for hi…

"Nnngh… No. I can resist if it's for you. We are alone, and unless Mira or Gray force their way in, they won't find out about our… activities." Erza struggled to say. Natsu looked at her in a mixture of disbelief and respect.

 _'Damn. You really wanna get right to it, don't you?'_ Natsu knew he should probably just give up, but she did request to try and reason with her, so he would continue to try for her sake.

… Not that he would likely have much success. If gambling didn't work, and _strawberry cheesecake_ didn't do the trick… They would likely have their clothes off in the next few minutes. And surprisingly, Natsu wasn't too flustered by that… Oh, who was he kidding? This whole situation was making him blush as red as Erza's hair.

"Y-You, uh… You could show that ring off to Mira? Prove you'll get married before her?" Natsu didn't dare hold his breath that this would work… But strangely enough, Erza seemed to be contemplating this suggestion _very_ seriously. And though he knew he was playing with fire, he decided to add some more incentive just in case that wasn't enough. "If we go 'n have some fun down there now, I promise we can come back up here later and I'll do anything you wanna… try out."

Natsu immediately regretted striking this bargain, because he felt a shiver run up his spine as he saw a glint in Erza's eye. This was their virginity he was talking about here, and Natsu had pretty much given Erza a freebie card to do whatever enticed her in those… novels… of hers. He wished he could take those words back.

"Come. I cannot wait to see the look on Mira's face!" Erza practically leaped off the bed, grabbed him firmly by the wrist, and enthusiastically dragged him out of their hotel room. Only one thought was flitting through the Dragon Slayer's mind as his face was dragged along the carpet.

 _'What caged beast have I released…?'_ Don't get him wrong, Erza was very, very beautiful, and he was probably guaranteed a good time with whatever she had planned. He just wasn't all that gung-ho about sex, not nearly as much as Erza, anyway.

Oh well. At least she'd be happy, and maybe he would be, too.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I think you know where the effort largely went for this chapter. The proposal's been a long time in coming, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it; it'll give the arc a pretty positive shape when all is said and done. I didn't want to delve into the action of the arc so soon after last chapter's action; there will be plenty of time for angst with Erza's past before she buries it for good.**

 **Well… Maybe not buried completely. I have an interesting addition for Team Crimson Flame when we complete this arc. Hardly anyone touches him outside of this arc, and I'm interested in the effects his continued life has on future plot points. XD There will be four full-time human members of Team CF before we get into Oracion Seis; the third member is to be introduced this arc, while the fourth sometime after, but not too long after. Someone's gotta fill the voids left behind by Lucy and Gray. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Point-in-Time: Tower of Heaven Arc**

* * *

"Come on, seventeen!" Natsu whooped and hollered as he played around with a machine. Happy was cheering right alongside him, plastering himself against the glass as it looked like Natsu would hit the jackpot on his first try. However, one of the three seventeens changed to a sixteen at the last moment, basically equating to Natsu winning… nothing. Of course the pink-headed Dragon Slayer started pounding the glass and slamming his fists down on the buttons in frustration. "HEY, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?! THAT'S NOT FAIR! I HAD IT! COME BACK, SEVENTEEN!"

"SEVENTEENNN!" Happy sobbed. An employee chose that moment to come over.

"Please, sir, stop hitting the machine…"

Natsu turned to face the employee with rivers of tears cascading away from his face.

"But it acted like it was gonna give me my number!" Natsu wailed as he pointed at the machine like a kid who didn't get a toy he wanted. "It's not fair!"

"NO FAIR!" Happy echoed just as unhappily. The employee sweatdropped as he lowered his hands defeatedly.

"I'm trying to help, sir…"

Gray, who was playing at a card table a little bit away from where they were, smirked and shook his head in exasperation.

"Man, they are such sore losers…" He wagered a few chips on his current hand. And just as he did so, a blue-haired woman in a revealing blue dress walked up to him.

"Gray, my darling, do you remember me?"

Gray did a double-take as he got a look at the golden Fairy Tail pendant around her chest, as well as the rest of her.

"Yeah, you're that chick from Phantom!" The Ice Make mage exclaimed. A few moments later they were sitting at the bar, sharing a drink and exchanging small talk. "I heard Phantom was disbanded. That had to be pretty tough on ya."

"Yes! But now I'm a free Wizard, and I can join any Guild I want!" She made a cute face at him and lightly blushed.

Gray smirked just a little.

"I see. And I take it you wanna be a member of Fairy Tail, huh?" Juvia nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, yes! Fairy much so!"

"Well, I dunno…" Gray said in a somewhat teasing tone. "After everything that went down… I mean, I have no problem with it, but who knows what the Master will say?"

Juvia got a starry look in her eyes.

"I promise I'll do whatever it takes!"

Gray shook his head in amusement.

"If I were you, I'd be careful about making promises like that."

In a different area of the casino, Erza was at a poker table with Mira and getting a kick out of Mira's gobsmacked expression at seeing her engagement ring.

"There's no _way_ that Pyro proposed to you! He only ever thinks about fighting and food! And even if he was planning to marry you, he sure as hell didn't come to _me_ about it!" Mira ranted. She prided herself on staying up-to-date on all relationships in the Guild, helping give people advice on such things as dates and yes, even how to propose romantically, and their resident Dragon Slayer had snuck one over on _her_? Oooh, she would be having words with Makarov about this. There's no way _he_ was clueless as well.

"But it _is_ true." Erza adopted a dreamy expression and squealed as she was about to reveal the best part. "And he made this with his own. two. hands."

If looks could kill… Mira might've been a serial killer by now as she glared around the table at the people paying attention to their 'private' conversation, _daring_ them to say a word. Didn't matter if some people didn't even recognize her; what Natsu did was completely romantic and even went beyond what most men did to propose. And he did it without consulting her _at all_. The worst part was that she had missed it happening; the Pyro was considerate enough to protect Erza's feelings and let her answer him without the nervousness that came with having a public audience.

If Freed didn't show half as much consideration for her when the time came, there would be _hell_ to pay! Erza totally lucked out with a guy like Natsu! Giving her a proposal that most girls could only ever _dream_ of. Of course she was jealous! What girl wouldn't be after hearing this?!

Erza laid out her cards while Mira stewed in her envy. A straight flush.

"Looks like today's my lucky day!" Erza looked the very picture of contentment as the dealer awarded her for the chips that round and started dealing out the cards for the next round. "I think this hot streak is just getting started…"

Mira fumed just a little at that. Of course she was happy as Erza's friend and confidant, but the redhead didn't have to be _smarmy_ about it! Romantic life, luck at cards… For some 'bizarre' reason, Fairy Tail's poster girl was feeling very inadequate right about now.

* * *

It didn't take long for things to sour. When the atmosphere was so cheery, it was practically a given that _something_ would occur to dim the mood. Erza just never expected in a million years that it would be her past to come calling. And unfortunately for the redheaded knight, her friends would be getting mixed up in it.

If nothing else, she wanted to keep Natsu from learning about it. Not because of the pain, but because… he was Natsu. Who knows what would have happened to Sho and the others if Natsu had tried anything to rescue them? Jellal had been too powerful, and even though she and Natsu had both gotten strong, Jellal had likely mirrored them in the years she'd been gone. Who knew how powerful he was now?

Alas, Natsu was the first one to encounter a slave from the Tower of Heaven. Someone other than Erza, that is.

"Are you Natsu Dragneel?"

Natsu turned around from yelling at the employee and did a double-take at seeing the distinct turban, eye patch, and metal piece around the guy's mouth.

"Yeah? Who wants to know?"

The man didn't answer right away, as he seemed to be searching for something in Natsu's eyes. Natsu didn't back down at all, and maintained eye contact through the whole thing. Then, out of nowhere… he bowed to Natsu, getting him and the blue cat to stare at the man in even more confusion than before.

"This is my first time I've been away from the Tower since arriving there. I've only heard so much, but from what I've seen, you are very important to Erza. I wanted to come find you before one of the others did, and see what kind of man you were. Though you've barely said a few words to me, I can tell just by looking in your eyes that you are the kind of person Erza would fall for. Strong. Defiant. A protector of his friends. Erza is very lucky to have someone like you, Mister Dragneel."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, grinning sheepishly all the while.

"Aw, c'mon! You're makin' me blush!" He then froze as he looked at the man suspiciously. "Hey. How do you know Erza? Who are you?"

The man looked down at this statement, but Natsu could tell there was something more going on than was probably his business to know. Still, when it came to Erza… He didn't exactly wanna take any chances.

"My name is Simon, and I was once a friend of Erza… I would still like to think that I am, but it's been so long, and we don't have enough time to get into everything." Simon shook his head at Natsu's irritated glare. "I'm sorry. But I will tell you this much – Erza is in danger, and I would like to help put her past to rest. I am not strong enough on my own, so I will need your help. You along with Gray Filibuster and Mirajane Strauss. With all of you powerful Wizards, I have little doubt we can defeat that man and finally earn our freedom. Will you help me, Mister Dragneel?"

Natsu's face scrunched up as so many questions were going through his mind. He _really_ didn't know what was going on, but it sounded serious. And Erza was in danger in some way?

"… I'm going to need you to explain everything that you can, but yeah. Count me in, pal." The pink-headed Dragon Slayer crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. "And call me Natsu. 'Mister Dragneel' just sounds so formal, even if I will be marrying Erza this year, y'know?"

 _That_ seemed to startle Simon, which was one of the first emotions that cracked through his stoic shell he'd shown up until now.

"Y-You're… You mean… Erza will… You're _that_ important…" Simon stared at Natsu in a mixture of disbelief, relief, and something else that Natsu couldn't really find a word for. Eventually, though Simon settled on a smile. One that might've been slightly pained, but one that conveyed gratitude. "Thank you, Natsu. It's almost hard to believe that so much time has passed, that the little girl that was once my dear friend is now a mature young woman… But I know you will take care of her. I saw you two as you entered the casino; you looked very happy together."

Natsu quirked an eyebrow and looked like he was about to ask a dozen more questions, but then there was the distinct sound of a gunshot, getting him to stiffen.

"H-Hey! Don't tell that Erza…!" He choked up at just the mere thought of it. Simon shook his head, much to Natsu's relief.

"No. Wally has just found your friend Gray, and tried to interrogate him on Erza's whereabouts. Obviously it wasn't going very well, and he's now requesting my assistance." At Natsu's stern glance, Simon sighed and tried to give an abbreviated explanation of his telepathic abilities as well as his… allies and their motivations for finding Erza.

Natsu did not look happy when Simon spoke his peace.

* * *

"I think you need to cool down, bub." Gray glowered at the blocky idiot wearing shades that just wrecked the bar he and Juvia had been drinking at. If it wasn't for Juvia, he might've gotten seriously hurt just now, because the idiot pinned him with some weird-looking restraints, which kept him from counterattacking, and to top it off the guy had a gun trained on his head.

Well, Juvia disrupted the guy's concentration, and the shot ended up destroying the bar instead of hitting him point-blank. The moment he was free, he froze the guy in a block of ice with his Ice Make magic, which seemed to subdue his opponent. Now Juvia was worrying over him and checking him over for injuries. A few minutes later, Natsu and some turban-wearing guy came running up to them. Turban guy looked relieved to see no one was seriously hurt.

"Hey, Ice Prick! How'd ya let a guy get a shot off on you like that?! You're gettin' sloppy!"

"Shut it, Flamebrain." Gray growled and turned his attention to Simon. "I assume you're with the guys lookin' for Erza? Just what the hell is going on?"

Simon bowed apologetically.

"My apologies for Wally's hostility. He was only acting under orders; he and our other comrades have been operating under a very serious misassumption for the past eight years." He dipped his head in regret, clenching his fists. "If I could have told them the truth, I would have. However, the truth in this case would have endangered them, so I kept my silence and pretended to be loyal to Jellal. _He_ is the one after Erza, all for the insidious purpose of sacrificing her."

Gray was starting to vaguely understand what was going on, but it was Natsu who cleared it all up for him.

"Yeah, get this! This Jellal guy forced Erza to leave this Tower of Heaven thing and never speak a word, or else he'd kill her friends! And now he's usin' her friends to bring her back to be sacrificed for some R-System or somethin'." He threw a mini-tantrum at just the thought of it. "Grr! I'm gonna beat this guy's face in for hurting Erza like this!"

Gray's widened and he panned his head over to Simon for confirmation, but all the man could do was shrug his shoulders haplessly.

"That has been my theory for the past eight years. We were _told_ that Erza had purposefully escaped and burned the other lifeboats to strand us at the Tower, but I could never buy into such a story. It… Erza never would have done that. She fought hard for _all_ of us to gain freedom from the Tower of Heaven; it was Jellal who changed his stance as we were in the midst of escaping. Instead of finding some other method to escape, he put us back to work and told us that lie about Erza. He fed us lies about gaining 'true freedom' over everyone else in the world, and that just sounded too absurd to be the truth. Jellal has been using us. The fact that she will be marrying Natsu confirms this for me; _she_ hasn't changed after all of these years, but Jellal has."

Gray's eyes bugged out at that tidbit. Natsu hadn't exactly broken that to him yet; and as Natsu nervously held his hands up peaceably at Gray's probing glare, the Ice Make mage just sighed and shook his head. They _would_ be speaking about this at length later, though. You don't go withholding juicy info like that; it's just not done!

"Whatever. You'll hafta tell us all about whatever this Tower of Heaven is later, but for now we've got bigger problems. You said you had two others running around looking for Erza?" He frowned grimly as Simon confirmed it. And at Simon's request, he did unfreeze Wally, who seemed to hear everything that was said, and boy did he look contrite sitting there on the floor after being released.

"It's just not possible… Jellal used us …? It was all a lie?"

"I'm sorry, Wally… I couldn't tell you without risking Jellal finding out. If that happened…" Simon trailed off cryptically. Wally just nodded his head.

"We'd all be sleepin' the big sleep… I get it. It just sucks that we were all duped. How'm I supposed to face Erza now…?"

Natsu growled and stomped up to the shades-wearing blockhead.

"You're Erza's friend, aren't you?! If this Jellal guy is after her, we hafta stand together and beat him! Don't just throw in towel because you _were_ gonna take her to her death!" Natsu declared heatedly. He shook his fist angrily. "If you're really sorry for doubtin' her, just make doubly sure you're there for her now, 'cause she needs all the support she can get! She's kept quiet all these years to keep you guys safe, so obviously she still thinks of you as dear friends!"

Wally seemed to perk up as Natsu used this reasoning. He nodded his head slowly at the Dragon Slayer.

"Y'know what? You're a real stand-up guy, pal. What you said sounds dandy enough for me to get behind." He frowned thoughtfully as something occurred to him. "Sho's gonna take it real hard, though… He was hurting the most out of all of us by Erza's 'betrayal'. We're gonna hafta find him fast."

"He just found Erza…" Simon uttered quietly. "He and Milliana both. We need to hurry."

Natsu punched his open palm in determination.

"What're we waiting for?! Let's go!"

* * *

It was easy enough to stop Sho and Milliana from doing anything too drastic to the other casino patrons. With both Simon and Wally on their side, it was easy enough to convince Milliana that they'd, regrettably, been nothing but pawns to Jellal. Sho, unfortunately, took the news much, much harder, and pretty much refused to believe what Simon was saying at first. But when Erza corroborated their mutual friend… To put it bluntly, Sho was devastated, as Wally figured he'd be.

Sho almost refused to let Erza go back to the Tower. They were all finally free, just like they had aspired for all those years ago, but Erza was determined to lay the past to rest. Her reasoning was that if they were to flee now, Jellal might not get her, but he would just search for another 'suitable' sacrifice; and that didn't sit well with the redheaded knight. No one else should have to suffer because of that damned Tower.

So now they were on a set course for the place that served as the stage for many of her nightmares as a child. On the very same ship that they'd intended to take her on as a prisoner. Mira and Gray had tagged along, claiming that Erza was an important part of Fairy Tail, and they couldn't let her take this journey alone. And since Juvia wanted to join the Guild, she would be offering her aid as well.

Natsu allowed Erza to spend time alone with her old friends below deck; he thought it was better than just letting her worry over his motion sickness, so he was currently puking his guts out over the side of the boat while Gray and Happy tried grilling him for details about proposing to Erza, 'cause that seemed to come out of nowhere for the Ice Make mage and blue cat. Mira and Juvia were off discussing about the Water mage's potential future with the Guild, so it was just the three of them above deck for now.

"What's not to get?" Natsu said with a green face. "She's done so much for me, and I love her. Plus we live together 'n do everything together as a team. Erza refused to go up in rank without me, Gray; I'm pretty sure I found 'the one'."

Gray scowled at Natsu's thickheaded response. He wasn't asking about that at all!

"I meant _how the hell_ did you make all those preparations without _anyone_ knowing about it? You're about as subtle as a bull in an antique shop, Flamebrain."

"Screw you!" Natsu shook his fist at Gray before his cheeks puffed out again and he leaned overboard and heaved. When he shakily came back up, he was shooting a withering glare at Gray. "I didn't exactly _want_ people knowin' about the proposal, Prick. It wouldn't have been fair to Erza, and what's more, what if she didn't want to get married just yet? I had to be sneaky so people wouldn't gossip and let it get back to her somehow. I wanted it to be a surprise. Gramps kinda had an inkling about my plans already when I approached him, and he kept quiet for me while he helped me out. Don't get mad at me for tryin' to consider Erza's feelings!"

Gray huffed but understood Natsu's point. It wasn't exactly something that should've been flaunted about; if he were in Natsu's place, he probably would've done something similar.

"Okay, sorry. But put yourself in my shoes: This came way out of left field. One day you're dating your teammate, the next you're marrying her. That just seemed too abrupt."

"Whatever." Natsu grumbled as he leaned against the railing, not quite feeling well, but not wanting to puke again just yet. He'd probably stay like this for a bit, and then get all puke-faced again when they hit another rough patch of water. He hadn't been on too many ships, but similar stuff happened on trains if Erza didn't knock him out beforehand.

Speaking of his fiancée, Erza had now come above deck to check on him, clad in her white blouse and blue skirt. Gray recognized when Erza wanted a moment alone with Natsu, so he vamoosed with Happy trailing behind him. When they were alone, Erza had this really regretful look on her face as she looked at Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer had a feeling he knew what she wanted to talk about, but he allowed her to breach it first. It was only fair.

"Natsu… I'm sorry you had to find out about my past this way. I never… I just didn't want you to feel compelled to help when the odds would've been stacked against you. Even now, I wonder if we're strong enough to confront Jellal…"

Despite the queasiness in his belly, Natsu offered her a supportive smile with as little shaking as possible. She felt butterflies at the mere sight of that smile.

"Don't think like that, Erza, we're gonna knock sense back into Jellal! There's no way we can lose with everyone workin' together, y'know?" He then closed his eyes contemplatively and let out a shaky breath to work through the motion sickness. Natsu reopened his eyes when he felt Erza lightly hugging him, massaging his back as she did so. To be honest… he felt a little better with her doing that. He didn't feel as queasy. He wrapped his arms around her and lightly ran a hand through her hair, breathing her scent in affectionately. "It was never my place to pry about your past, anyway. I could never be sure, but it didn't seem like a friendly place since you were avoided talkin' about it. If anything, I wanted to help you focus on the present and the future anyway; not to say the past is completely good for nothin' – 'cause we share a past, y'know? It's just… before you came to Fairy Tail. Why you were so uptight in those first few years. I couldn't make ya share why you were like that or where ya were before, but I could be your friend and teammate, and that's why I never quit after you 'recruited' me. Well… That, and I guess you were makin' me stronger. Heh."

Erza smiled at that. So it wasn't the case that only she saw something more in Natsu than his fighting skills in the beginning; Natsu really wanted to help her out, too… in his own unique way.

"I'll do my best to suppress any sentiment for Jellal, then. Your wellbeing comes first. I would never forgive myself if you died because I hesitated…"

Natsu pulled back out of their embrace slightly to look her in the eyes and grin slightly at her.

"Don't say that! Jellal's important to you, too. Ya shouldn't have to kill all emotion for the guy. He's the guy that inspired you to fight in the first place, isn't he?" At Erza's stiff nod, Natsu resumed their embrace. Whispering into her ear, he said, "… Then I promise I won't die on you. I promise we'll find some way to beat Jellal without killin' him, and get that evil spirit outta him. You shouldn't hafta suffer and pick one of us to live; you've suffered enough already!"

Erza sniffed as a few tears escaped her remaining natural eye. She hugged Natsu tightly and thanked him sincerely. She wasn't any more eager to go into this than she was when Sho and the others first showed up, but at least now she felt a glimmer of hope thanks to Natsu. It was always like that; when the situation looked grim, it was always him that lifted her spirits. Him that showed there was a way to conquer anything.

It was just one of the many reasons she loved him; one of the reasons she loved him so much to be marrying him.

"We… We never picked out a date." Erza finally said as they pulled apart slightly again, only for her to blush as Natsu wiped away her tears.

"Right! 'Cause we're gonna get out of this 'n end the nightmare for good!" Natsu grinned, once again setting the butterflies in her chest aflutter. "Um… I didn't have any particular date in mind. I guess I'd like it to be before winter, but I couldn't decide which I liked better – a summer wedding or a fall wedding. Both are appealing in their own ways, right?"

Erza nodded in agreement before adopting a thoughtful expression.

"Summer's almost over, so it would be a little too soon to throw anything together… H-How about a week or two after the Fantasia Parade in October? That way, we have some breathing room between the celebrations. A-And that will give us plenty of time for a honeymoon before the S-Class Trials in December."

Natsu seemed to mull it over in his head. He didn't really have any objections, and it seemed like a great time for it, so…

"Sounds good!" Natsu offered a bright grin before kissing her on the lips, which she returned quite gleefully. When they pulled away for breath, Natsu rested his forehead against her and stared into her eyes as he panted slightly. "That all bein' said… You sure you want a kid before the Trials? You might not be able to help out if you're pregnant."

Erza pouted cutely at that reminder. She glared to the side in slight annoyance.

"We will work something out. I will not wait anymore on this; I want a family…" She glared back into his eyes with determination, and smiled wryly as he got green in the face again as they hit a rather nasty rough patch of water. Patting his back, she proceeded to guide him below deck so they could rest before reaching the Tower.

It wouldn't be long before the nightmare would finally be over…

* * *

 **Author's Note: I am on a roll today. I think it's just because I reeeally like the Tower of Heaven Arc. But now that we're getting into about midweek, I think I'll hafta focus more on my schoolwork again. Sorry in advance, guys. :P But at least now the 'preliminary' stuff is over. They resolved things with Team Jellal before getting to the Tower, so now they might be able to help in the fight against Jellal.**

 **… Probably not too much, but they can be support, right? Next time we hear more from the Council, too, and see what kinda things are different there in this AU. I've glossed over it enough for it to be a blank slate.**

 **Last order of business – doesn't hafta be decided** _ **just**_ **yet – but I'm kinda undetermined about Wally, Sho, and Milliana's futures. Part of me wants to go with canon in regards to them, but another part wants 'em to join FT as members (and not necessarily as members of Team CF, just your 'average' members). I've kinda decided Simon's fate already… but those three are still undecided, and I'm not sure which you guys would like to see more. I'm mostly undecided about Milly, since she did actually join an official Guild other than FT, but Wally and Sho travelling around has its own charm, too.**

 **So yeah. If you have an opinion one way or the other, just speak up, and I'll take it under consideration. Otherwise I'll weigh the pros and cons to both possibilities and go from there. Hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Point-in-Time: Tower of Heaven Arc**

* * *

A man with _long_ black hair and wearing a white uniform entered a room with a striking Lacrima Crystal in the center, and a throne towards the back. He approached the hooded young man sitting boredly on the throne while looking somewhat agitated.

"I'm sorry to report, sir… but it appears that the team you dispatched to bring Erza Scarlet to the Tower has betrayed us. They have returned and started to attack the guards without discretion." The man reported stiffly.

"I see…" The hooded man frowned as he tapped a finger on the armrest. "But have they Erza with them?"

"W-Well… Yes, along with a few of her allies from Fairy Tail, but…"

"Then I will forgive them this slight, if only this one time. For even though they come bearing resentment for our cause now, they did succeed in the task given to them. All that remains is to put down their rebellion and capture Erza, a task that I will leave to you and the Death's Head Caucus, Vidaldus."

The man named Vidaldus cracked a malicious smirk at that declaration, and he underwent a transformation that made him seem less human. He was joined by a pink-haired woman and a muscular man with an owl head and a jetpack.

"That's right! They can say their prayers if they wanna, but they're all gonna burnin' in Hell tonight!" Vidaldus Taka cackled maniacally.

"Fukuro." The blue-haired man identified the man with an owl head, who proceeded to twist said head at an unnatural angle.

"Hoo-hoo-HOO!"

"And their leader… Ikaruga." The blue-haired man finished identifying the members of the Death's Head Caucus.

"Life is a flower, fated to be scattered on the ground below… So tonight, we make merry!" The pink-haired woman said cryptically as the three of them bowed to the hooded man. "We are Trinity Raven, and we are at your command, sir."

"Then go forth… and bring me Erza Scarlet." The hooded man smirked, and the trio departed for the floors below.

It was time for a round of Heaven's Game…

* * *

"Fairy Tail's come callin'!" Natsu roared as the nine humans and one cat emerged from the underwater tunnel and started attacking the guards stationed at that lower level of the Tower. Instead of just working their way up through the hordes of guards that were on the main level of the island, and thus tiring themselves out before reaching Jellal, Erza suggested taking a more discreet route, which Juvia discovered while searching below the island.

Apparently there were guards even on this level, but not nearly as many as up top. It was essentially a massacre thanks to Simon's Dark Moment spell that blinded their enemies and allowed the members of Team Jellal to strike their former comrades down without much resistance. Sho was particularly helpful, magically storing many of the guards into cards; but Milliana was helpful, too, in ensnaring many of them and preventing them from using any Magic. And of course Wally's gun created a great amount of devastation with the rounds it fired off.

All in all, the token resistance was dealt with in short order, and the doors to the Tower were automatically opened for them, signaling that Jellal was aware that they had arrived. This was confirmed by Jellal projecting his voice through the Tower and revealing the stakes of 'Heaven's Game'. Jellal had three 'knights' representing his side, while there was the nine of them. His allies would be seeking to capture Erza, while all of them would seek to come and confront him; but if they took too long, the Council would possibly fire Etherion and annihilate the Tower, supposedly ending the game in a draw.

Yeah. Talk about high stakes. Stakes that boggled Erza, because Jellal sounded so calm about the possibility of his precious Tower being destroyed. An abomination that so many people died to create.

"So how do we wanna do this? We'll attract too much attention if we move as one big group." Gray said as they entered the belly of the beast, as it were.

"Well, there are three 'knights'." Erza mused. "Since there are nine of us, we would likely be safer if we split into groups of three. That way, when we encounter Jellal's elites, it will be three-on-one for each."

None of Team Jellal seemed happy with this arrangement; that meant at most, only two of them could go with Erza and protect her. And that was provided none of her new friends went with her.

"I'll go with Erza." Natsu declared with a serious expression, getting all eyes to turn to him. "Chances are she's gonna make it all the way to Jellal, and I'm not gonna let her face him alone."

He'd made a promise, after all, and he wasn't gonna break it. Erza was standing next to him, and she took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. Natsu didn't miss her strained smile, so he settled for squeezing her hand mutually and giving her a thumbs-up with his free hand as well as a toothy grin, which seemed to ease her somewhat.

"B-But…!" Sho tried to protest, but Simon placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's fine, Sho. Erza is safe in Natsu's hands. I was going to volunteer to take them to the top, but you know the way as well as I do. I think I'll leave that role to you."

Sho perked up at this, but it didn't last. He wanted to go with Erza – he did! But… For years, he'd done the unthinkable and actually doubted Erza. Thought that she had betrayed them. And he'd been perfectly willing to sacrifice her without hearing her side of the story!

"I can't do that, Simon…" Sho glared at the floor in frustration as Simon looked to him in confusion. "I-I'll help fight, but I don't deserve to go with Erza's group. You go; you believed in her all this time."

"Sho…" Erza uttered quietly. Simon appeared pensive for several moments before he nodded his head reluctantly.

"Very well. How about the rest of you?" When neither Milliana nor Wally voiced that they wanted to go with Erza, Simon reluctantly accepted his spot in that group. After that, it was decided that Gray, Juvia, and Wally would form the second team, while Mira, Sho, and Milliana would form the third group.

With that decided, they set out with the intention of conquering the Tower and saving Jellal from the darkness…

* * *

"Are you saying that it still exists?! But that's impossible!" A Councilman snapped.

"About a decade ago, construction began on the R-System. A structure designed by a cult of Dark Magic users." Another Councilman summarized.

"But we had all seven of those towers destroyed!" Michello argued. "There shouldn't even be ruins left!"

"Evidently, there was an eighth tower that we missed off the waters of Caelum." A Councilwoman remarked as she pulled up an image of the structure for them all to see.

"How did we miss it? Is the tower close to completion?" Org pressed for more information.

"I'm afraid I don't know. Our team mysteriously went missing after sending these images." The same Councilwoman replied.

"Well, it looks finished to me." Ultear dryly remarked.

"But why would they revive the R-System after all this time?" Michello grumbled.

Siegrain crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"The Tower of Heaven. It's not the R-System – it's the Tower of Heaven. To be clear."

"It makes no difference what it's called!" Org replied in irritation. "It utilizes forbidden Magic! There would be chaos if word got out that it even _existed_!"

"We'll have to find a way to subdue them," The first Councilwoman said with her hand on her hip. "I suggest we dispatch the military."

"That's not an option." A hooded Councilman said with certainty.

"What do you mean?!"

"We'd be putting our soldiers in danger because we don't know who we're dealing with here! According to our latest intelligence, the black Magic cult thought to be responsible for the R-System is no longer occupying the tower."

"They're not? Who is, then?" Michello questioned.

"It's a group of wizards, led by a man named Jellal."

"Jellal!" Michello exclaimed.

"But that's the name of your twin brother! Isn't that right, Siegrain?" Org asked the azure-haired young man.

"Yes, unfortunately… that would be him." Siegrain answered.

"We must do something to stop Jellal!" Michello demanded.

"We should gather more information!" Org suggested.

"Dispatch the military!" The first Councilwoman yelled.

"You ignorant fools!" Siegrain chastised them.

"Siegrain!"

"How dare you…"

"Only fools would send in the military and risk the lives of hundreds of innocent soldiers. I'm telling you, it's far too dangerous." Siegrain told them all with a stern face.

"What do you propose we do?" Org asked.

"This is a precarious situation. If we want to stop him, we'll have to completely destroy the Tower of Heaven! And there's only one way to do that…" Siegrain trailed off meaningfully. "Etherion."

"Are you insane?!"

"That's cross-dimensional destruction Magic!"

"We can't!"

"Do you know how much devastation it would cause?! That weapon has the power to obliterate an entire nation!"

"Etherion is an absolute last resort! It is more dangerous than the R-System itself!"

"Just hear me out." Siegrain quieted them all. "Satellite Square can pinpoint a target anywhere in the region. If we focus it directly on the tower, we can cause less collateral damage _and_ destroy the structure."

At this point, Siegrain anticipated his staunch ally to offer her support, and thus start a chain reaction of people speaking up in favor of his suggestion. However, his ire was raised when Ultear shot him a coy smirk.

"I vote… We wait." As all eyes turned to her, Ultear crossed her arms and explained her reasoning. "As Belno said, Etherion should be an absolute last resort. If all goes to plan, we won't have to do anything – I recently received word from Rune Knights stationed close to Akane Resort, and it appears that a team comprised of Natsu Dragneel, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Gray Filibuster, and one of the former Element Four, Juvia Lockser, are on their way right now to destroy the tower and deal with your brother, Siegrain. If anyone is capable of stopping Jellal, don't you think _they_ would be?"

Murmurs of interest swept around the room at this latest bit of news. Team Crimson Flame, and most recently Team Mira, were very well-known for going overboard on missions. Fairy Tail in general was known for producing such mages, but those four in particular were some of the biggest thorns in their side in keeping the peace. Storming a tower and confronting a handful of potentially powerful Wizards sounded right up their alley. Yajima looked to Ultear gratefully, but Siegrain clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth in frustration.

"I wouldn't hedge all my bets on a group of troublemakers like that… Sure, it _sounds_ good on principle, but what if they fail? What if the Tower of Heaven is activated? We must strike preemptively!"

"I would sooner put my faith in Maky's kids," Yajima mused. "With them, there will be few to no casualties. With Etherion, there will be a massacre, regardless if we focus the blast."

"That would certainly be the ideal solution, but sometimes the 'ideal' just can't be reached!" Siegrain continued to argue.

"I'm sure Mister Dragneel and Miss Scarlet would beg to differ," Ultear smirked tauntingly at him, getting various assents of agreement from their fellow Councilmen. That pair of mages without a doubt their biggest headache, but when it counted, they got the job done. And, boy, was that truth a bitter pill to swallow for some of the Council.

At Siegrain's continued aggravation, Belno spoke up again.

"Why don't we have the military keep a close eye on the situation? If the situation worsens, we can then send them in."

"Certainly sounds reasonable." Michello muttered, not being a huge fan of the mages from Fairy Tail, yet still forced to concede their strength. Org similarly grunted in assent. The hooded man, Leiji, also concurred.

"You're being too conservative in this matter…!" Siegrain snapped, making an emotional swing with his arm to the side. "I _urge_ you to reconsider! You haven't even considered just who my brother Jellal may be trying to resurrect! Haven't you sensed the dark presence overtaking the land?!"

"Stop beating around the bush and tell us!" Michello snapped at him, his patience ran out long ago.

"Though I am hesitant to speak his very name, your complacency leaves me with no other choice…" Siegrain remarked. "He's trying to resurrect Zeref!"

 _That_ seemed to get the gathered Council to react in the way Siegrain wanted. However, Ultear spoke up again, once again changing the flow of events.

"Come now, Siegrain. Even _if_ your brother has taken up the mantle of the dark cult that used to occupy that tower, I think it is safe to presume your brother lacks the power to stand up to four S-Class mages that are notorious across the land. Short of Makarov himself, Fairy Tail couldn't have sent anyone better to put an end to this farce." Ultear placed a hand on her hip and gazed around at the assembled Council. "What's more, if we spin this right, we will look _good_ in the eyes of the people, whereas if we fire Etherion, there will be irreparable political backlash for our 'altruistic' actions."

Siegrain just about howled in frustration as the Council seriously seemed to consider Ultear's logic. Now she was stroking their egos to ruin his plans; just what in the world was Ultear _thinking_?!

"I… I move to call a vote." Siegrain made one last desperate ploy to salvage the situation. Five votes, that's all he needed – including himself, he just needed four more to be onboard with firing Etherion. Then, the Tower of Heaven could charge up, and he could resurrect Zeref…

Damn Ultear. She'd been acting strange ever since fraternizing with those Fairy Tail mages on an occasional basis, and he was starting to think that in spite of her motivations being flirtatious and devious in nature, they were starting to grow on her. He could think of no other explanation for her clear betrayal.

* * *

Mira's group had encountered Vidaldus. And despite his unique power, Mira had clobbered him before he even got a chance to use it; then, Milliana bound him with her flexible, Magic-draining bindings, and Sho trapped him in a card for extra precaution. Yeah, it was pretty safe to assume that Vidaldus wouldn't be getting out of that.

Gray's group had a rougher time simply because Fukuro ended up swallowing Juvia. But between Gray and Wally, they got the birdbrain to cough Juvia up before he completely absorbed her, and from there Gray gave Fukuro a thrashing.

It was Natsu, Erza, and Simon who ran into some trouble as they encountered Ikaruga in the room closest to the throne room. Though Simon had _tried_ to provide an opening for Natsu and Erza, Ikaruga was too fast for him and managed to find him even as Dark Moment was cast. When the light returned to the room, Ikaruga was standing in the same spot while Simon was kneeling on the floor with a massive slash across his chest.

"Simon?!" Erza rushed over to him in concern, while Natsu stood by her side and glared over at the pink-haired woman.

"Such a naughty boy… Using the cover of darkness, you hoped to allow your friends to strike me while I was bewildered. Unfortunately for you, darkness is no impediment to an assassin of my caliber."

Simon winced in pain and looked to Erza as reassuringly as he could.

"This one's too powerful for me to take on. I'm sorry I couldn't be any help, but I'll be okay. Don't worry."

Erza shot one last concerned glance at him before turning her attention to Natsu, whose fists were ablaze.

"Nobody hurts one of our friends like that… You're gonna pay! FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!" Natsu joined his hands together, generating a giant fireball that he sent in Ikaruga's direction.

"You won't hit me with such a sluggish attack." The pink-haired woman stoically said before the general area around her exploded in flames. The next thing Natsu knew, he was slashed into several times, eliciting screams from him.

"Natsu!" Erza worriedly placed her hands around his shoulders as he winced in pain and he grit his teeth. There were slash marks across his chest now, but they weren't as large as Simon's slash mark. The redhead glared down their foe as she appeared a few feet from her original position. "Let me handle her. She's your worst kind of opponent, Natsu – your attacks are destructive, but she has more than enough speed to outrun them. Just… conserve your strength…"

Natsu looked like he was going to protest, but he became distracted as Erza stepped out from behind him. Just as she did so, her Heart Kreuz Armor was shattered into a million pieces, as if it was nothing; now clad in her white blouse, she kneeled and clutched at her arm, and it was Natsu's turn to worry over her.

"You seem surprised. A skilled warrior like you should have seen that coming." Ikaruga mused. She then broke out into song. "Can you feel its gaze? From the depths of the night mist, the mononoke…"

As Erza got back up assuring Natsu that she was okay, Ikaruga continued to taunt them.

"Your single-minded focus on Jellal has rendered you a fledgling novice! Completely unaware to my katana blade flashing about you." She sneered as Erza's face darkened. "Yes, there's the look I've been waiting for! You may be skilled, but you don't stand a chance against me."

Natsu knew Erza was incited now, so he backed up until he was standing over by Simon, who was watching his old dear friend in admiration.

"You're my enemy, and I _will_ defeat you! Requip!" She changed into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Then with determination, she added, "I always do."

"I'd like to see you try!" Ikaruga shot back at her, hands on her sheathed katana blade. As Erza burst toward her with great speed, the pink-haired woman countered Erza's blade perfectly while also sending the redhead upward.

"Heaven's Wheel: Circle Swords!" Erza declared as numerous swords circled around her form and rained down on Ikaruga. She did a double-take when every last one ended up cut to bits in a single moment.

"That was Yasha's Empty Flash." Ikaruga calmly explained before swinging her blade again just as Erza touched down on the ground. Like the armor before it, the Heaven's Wheel Armor shattered and Erza screamed in pain. Ikaruga quickly launched her next attack. "Garuda's Flame!"

She generated fire into her sword and made a circle in the air that then rushed forward in a fiery blast. Of course Natsu didn't just stand there and let it connect with Erza; he leaped in front of her and quickly inhaled the attack completely without getting injured, much to Erza's relief. On the downside, this seemed to anger Ikaruga.

"A Fire Dragon Slayer has no place in this fight… Begone!" She used her Empty Flash style once again and cut into Natsu many times, splashing up specks of blood in the process and sending Natsu sprawling on his back.

"NATSU!" Erza cried out in distress, rushing over to his side. She shed a few tears as Natsu reassured her he was alright; just in a lot of pain.

"Your friend is quite foolhardy. Should he attempt something like that again, I will sever his thread of life for good." Ikaruga said dispassionately, garnering a furious glare from Erza. "Now… I would suggest adorning yourself with the most powerful Armor you possess."

Erza stood back up and started up another Requip.

"Purgatory Armor Requip complete!" Erza called out as she was changed into an intimidating black armor that came with a spiky black sword. "You'll regret your arrogance when I'm through with you! No one who's seen this Armor has lived to talk about it!"

"This is the most powerful Armor in your collection?" Ikaruga asked in amusement. "Let's test its limits."

Erza lunged forward and dished out two very destructive swings – one that harmlessly flew against a wall, while the other sent Ikaruga flying backward, giggling. She slashed the pillars around her to stop her flying motion; as this happened, Erza lunged forward again with a strangled, enraged cry, but was ultimately smashed down onto the floor and forced to watch as Ikaruga slowly slashed through the Purgatory Armor's Blade. Her opponent then slashed through her Armor, not quite obliterating it like the previous Armors, but still damaging it heavily.

"You made a valiant effort, but there is no Armor in existence that my katana cannot cut through." Ikaruga boldly proclaimed. "Admit your defeat!"

As she kneeled on the floor, Natsu propped himself up to get a good look at her. He could tell she wasn't doing well.

"E-Erza! Don't give in! You can still-" He was abruptly cut off as Ikaruga precisely slashed his shoulder. Despite this intimidation tactic, Natsu did not roll over as he glared at Ikaruga angrily. "I don't care if you can kill me a hundred different ways! You're not gonna win this fight, because Erza's never lost a sword fight! Hell, she doesn't even _need_ a sword to beat you, 'cause she's flexible in her fighting style like that! But you aren't!"

Ikaruga growled lowly at Natsu's foolhardy claim. If the Dragon Slayer had a death wish, Ikaruga was more than willing to grant it. But before she could make good on this ambition, she turned to face Erza, who seemed to be standing up and Requipping out of her Purgatory Armor, or what was left of it.

 _'What is she thinking?!'_ Simon thought to himself as he watched the light fade, revealing Erza in red pants that had stylized yellow flames at the bottom while she had nothing but cloth wrapped around her chest. She wasn't even wearing shoes now as she stood there holding a blade in each hand.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Ikaruga asked incredulously. "Why would you trade out your Armor for an outfit made out of regular cloth? Is this peculiar choice of dress supposed to mock me?"

"Erza! You can't fight her like this, it's suicide!" Simon exclaimed in shock. But Natsu, strangely enough, didn't seem worried.

"I've personally never thought myself as someone who is strong… I always thought I was putting on a façade. That my demonstrations of strength were all lies." Erza closed her eyes and thought back to how she 'preferred to be alone' due to being nervous around other people. "As a child, I watched as those around me suffered. I lost loved ones because I didn't have the strength to protect them. I _tried_ to be strong… But when I was alone, I couldn't hide my emotions. So to fool everyone, I hid my heart away in a suit of armor…There, no one could see that I was broken."

Erza dipped her head as she recalled Natsu's words from years ago.

 _"Look," Natsu said awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're uptight. And mean. And scary. All of that's true. But I don't think you understand totally what I mean by that. To scare me, you hafta be strong and, uh… imposing, I think? I dunno how to rate you 'cause I haven't fought everybody here, but you're_ definitely _one of the strongest."_

"But Natsu penetrated my cold shell. Where so many others failed, he connected with me. His warmness, his kindness... He showed me what it meant to be strong, that armor _isn't_ needed to overcome everything. And like a dam beginning to burst, others from Fairy Tail began to connect with me as well! I began to feel emotions again!" She shook her head slowly. "I can't rely on my armor anymore… I don't need it to defeat you!"

Ikaruga said nothing as they had one last standoff. _She_ had spoken her peace more than enough already – it was time to end it all. However, as they went in for the final clash and passed one another, only one of Erza's swords broke, while Ikaruga's only sword shattered. As she panted for breath, only then did Ikaruga speak again.

"Our battle… is over…" She then collapsed to the floor, defeated.

"Amazing…" Simon marveled at the red-haired beauty, who was now helping Natsu to his feet.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" Natsu winced a little, his upper body somewhat bloody and scarred, but otherwise wasn't seriously injured for the upcoming fight with Jellal. He grinned at her infectiously. "I knew you could do it! I'm just sorry I couldn't have been more help here…"

"You did more than you know…" Erza murmured as she pulled him in for a hug, which he quickly reciprocated. As they pulled apart, Ikaruga spoke up again.

"In all my years, I've never tasted the bitterness of defeat… But it doesn't matter. All of you are doomed to fail, including Jellal…"

"Etherion…" Simon deduced as he painfully made his way over to Natsu and Erza. They'd all heard Jellal announce it, after all.

"The light of justice shall come raining down from the sky… It will kill us all…" Ikaruga sang before succumbing to her injuries.

"What a wretched haiku…" Erza shivered in disgust. She turned to face Simon. "You should probably meet back up with the others and get out of here. There is a chance that Jellal isn't bluffing. I would hate to be the reason you all die…"

"Erza, we're not going to leave you." Simon told her firmly. "The others reported that they have defeated their opponents, the other two members of Trinity Raven, so now…"

"We beat Jellal and free him from that evil spirit!" Natsu exclaimed, punching his open palm. Erza looked to him in slight concern, as she wasn't sure if he'd be up to facing Jellal in his present condition.

But… He was determined. And so was Simon, and everyone else who was here in the Tower. She had a feeling that no matter what she said, they'd go against her wishes anyway; that's why she wasn't even trying to send Natsu away.

"Okay. But I want you to wait here for the others; Natsu and I will go on ahead." Erza addressed her childhood friend, receiving a reluctant nod in response. She and Natsu then made their way to the hall that would lead them to the throne room… A room where she was tortured and subsequently lost her right eye all those years ago.

And hopefully, with Natsu's help… It would be where she could bury the past once and for all.

* * *

The vote had been cast. As expected, Siegrain failed to get the Council to change their minds after Ultear's persuasions. He, Michello, and two others had voted for the firing of Etherion… But Ultear, Yajima, Leiji, Belno, and Org had been firmly opposed. Just _one vote_ off. Ultear's betrayal had him broiling on the inside. _Why_ had she done it? They were so close to achieving Lord Zeref's resurrection.

 _'No use in wallowing, I suppose…'_ Siegrain mused as he slipped away from the Council as they took a short break to dispatch the military to the Tower of Heaven's waters. He would just need to wait for another opportunity down the road; for now, he would dispose of Erza and her friends, and then… _'Well, I will have to simply think on my next move. No more pawns. No more allies. I am the Chosen One, and I will take care of everything myself… Lord Zeref, your hour is near.'_

With this dark thought, 'Siegrain' disappeared from the Council's hallowed halls, unaware of the woman watching him with a dark mischief in her eyes…

* * *

Jellal moved some pieces on a chessboard as Erza and Natsu entered the room.

"Don't tell me the game is over already!" Jellal mocked them.

"Do you find that much pleasure in toying with the lives of others?" Erza asked demandingly. Jellal simply began to pace the room.

"Between the moment of our birth and the moment of our death, there is only that game of emotions we call life. What could be more dreary than simply _existing_ day after day?" He turned to face the redhead with dark amusement. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"It certainly has." Erza responded tersely. Though Natsu felt out of place, he felt obligated to support Erza as much as possible.

"Simon and the others aren't hostages anymore, bub!"

"That's fine with me." Jellal scoffed. "Now that the Tower of Heaven is completed, I have no need for them!"

Erza raised her blade and pointed it at him.

"You don't seem too concerned that it will soon be destroyed!"

"Perhaps someday… I'm afraid that there has been a slight… change in plans due to the interference of one I _thought_ to be my ally."

"You sound so carefree, I can only assume you were bluffing!" Erza accused.

"Not so!" Jellal said gleefully as he tossed back his hood. "Etherion _will_ rain down on this Tower! I just need to convince those fools in the Council to make such a bold move. Perhaps your deaths will suffice."

"Waddya mean?!" Natsu tilted his head in confusion, pointing at Jellal accusingly. "You said in that announcement it was, like, decided already!"

"Such is fate." Jellal replied, spreading out his arms. "Our lives have been predetermined; you were born to be a powerful Dragon Slayer to fall at my hands, and I was born to be the Chosen One!"

Natsu felt incited by that comment, but was held back by Erza, whose brow was furrowed.

"Why are you fixated on destroying the Tower? That will just make all the efforts – all the _lives_ that were sacrificed – it will have all been for nothing if you throw it away so easily!"

"Wouldn't you say that's hypocritical? After all, you came here with the intention of destroying the very thing your _friends_ worked so very hard to create!" Jellal smirked at Erza, who glared heatedly back at him. "You can find fault with what I say all you like, but it won't change a thing. With or without you, I will resurrect Lord Zeref, and together we will create a land of true freedom!"

In the next moment, Jellal sidestepped Natsu, who came crashing down on his previous position with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist.

"I've heard enough of your crap! Don't you see you're being controlled?!"

Jellal snorted in disdain and unleashed some sort of gelatinous attack that was deceptively strong and sent Natsu soaring into a nearby wall. Erza rushed the azure-haired man and swiped at him, yet he leapt back in the nick of time and simultaneously caused more of the purple gelatinous Magic to surround Erza's feet and encase her in some kind of orb.

"You have grown strong, Erza…" Jellal eyed Natsu as the Dragon Slayer came at him again with swinging fists. He countered Natsu's strike perfectly, and the two stood at an impasse. "And you even trained up a decent apprentice. But neither of you are a match for me!"

Jellal's eyes widened when Erza cut cleanly through the orb she was trapped in and came swinging at him one more time, and this time she landed a hit and sent him sprawling on his back, his mouth agape.

 _'This isn't the weak girl I remember…!'_ Jellal thought to himself in shock.

Natsu grinned like a loon at the sight, and Erza glared at the fallen Jellal in determination.

"I cast off all my fears, including you! And Natsu is so much more than my 'apprentice'… Whereas you have given me nothing but painful memories of the past, _he_ represents my present and future! My hopes and dreams! We will end your reign of terror here today, Jellal!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: … Methinks I will leave the conclusion of this arc for next time. I wanted to leave with a cliffhanger of Siegrain arriving, but this seemed more appropriate. More or less the ending to episode 38 of the anime. I finally touched on Ultear a bit with this chapter; don't fret about her being too OOC, she's not a goody two shoes. Think about what her motivations might be; we'll be revisiting her in the arcs to come. I'm building up her importance, 'cause I recently came to a decision about her fate after the Tenrou Island Arc. Hers and Meredy's, I should say. This is gonna be fun. XD**

 **For those who want Team CF to only be Natsu, Erza, and Happy… Sorry! Haha. I just find them having other team members to be so much more interesting. No Gray or Lucy as part-time members, but there's gonna be more members. I count four, not including the main pair (which means Team CF will be six members, plus Happy). Two additions in the immediate future, two further down the road. But this is largely because of a certain death that's coming. I've had to change things up! XD**

 **This also gives Meredy a unique pairing, though… I can definitely say none of you will see it coming, 'cause they had no interaction** _ **at all**_ **in canon. Honestly, it'll just be an experiment, and will be ditched if for some reason it doesn't pan out. Pretty sure it won't be that bad. Hope it won't. :P**


	13. Chapter 13

**Point-in-Time: Tower of Heaven Arc**

* * *

"I think it's time you started explaining yourself, Jellal." Erza said as she held the azure-haired man at sword-point, straddling him so that he wouldn't make any attempts to counterattack. "Even with all your meticulous planning, you failed to _truly_ complete the R-System. While I was away, I researched into the R-System thoroughly – it requires a great deal of Magical Energy. Even if you were to gather all the Wizards on the continent, you _still_ wouldn't have enough Energy to power it!"

Jellal calmly closed his eyes, and answered Erza as if he were talking about the weather.

"You're a very intelligent woman, Erza, but you can be oh-so-narrow-minded. All the pieces are in front of you and you still can't put them together?" He snorted in amusement. He reopened his eyes and stared at her impassively. "… Very well, I will give you your answer. Why do you suppose I needed the Etherion to fire on this place? It wasn't to _destroy_ the Tower of Heaven; it was never about that. Etherion is immensely powerful, capable of annihilating entire nations. _That_ was to be the power source, the 'final piece to the puzzle', as it were."

"That's impossible!" Erza denied heatedly. "You couldn't possibly harness a blast from Etherion, even if theoretically it might possess the power you need!"

"Never judge a tower by its frail outer coating. There's a secret of this tower that not even you are aware of, my dear; it is in actuality a giant Lacrima just waiting for the boundless energy of Etherion to fuel it! But of course, the sight of such a thing would attract too much attention, so the Lacrima was concealed by stone walls; truly, it is a thing of beauty to behold, quite worthy of its title."

Erza froze at this revelation, and even Natsu looked a little freaked out.

"A _Lacrima_? _That's_ what the Tower of Heaven is?!" The redheaded knight gasped out in shock. Natsu couldn't find the right words to describe it as he simply tried to _picture_ a giant, towering Lacrima; just didn't seem possible.

"The looks on your faces are priceless. Erza. Natsu." Both members of Team Crimson Flame whipped their heads around to see Siegrain striding toward them. Natsu in particular was wondering why he didn't sense the Councilman's appearance. "He isn't capable of putting forth his full power right now, so he _had_ to manipulate the game, you see. The outcome where Etherion rained down on us… That would have been our victory, without a doubt. But now the rules of the game have changed, and your life is no longer needed to resurrect Lord Zeref. We will just select someone else to be the unwilling sacrifice – there are oh so many powerful Wizards to choose from on the continent, after all."

"Siegrain… you bastard…" Natsu growled as the Councilman came to a stop just a few feet away from them. Erza, too, was filled with rage at the sight of Jellal's 'twin', but she was caught off guard when Jellal blasted her off of him and a few feet away. Natsu immediately whipped his head back around and shouted. "Erza!"

Jellal stood back up and mirrored Siegrain's arrogant posture. Yet it was Siegrain who spoke up again.

"You know, this reminds me of when we first met, years ago." Siegrain smirked as Erza picked herself up and glared angrily at him. "Do you remember?"

Siegrain moved until he was standing side-by-side with Jellal, who then proceeded to answer when Erza said nothing.

"You accompanied Makarov to the Magic Council to submit a written apology for destruction of property."

"She attacked me out of nowhere," Siegrain mused. "She must have mistaken me for you."

"I can't say I blame her. After all, we do look an awful lot alike." Jellal chuckled.

"You refused to let up until I confessed to you that I was his twin. But still, you were hostile towards me from that day forward!"

"What did you expect?!" Erza questioned incredulously. "If you truly cared about your brother, you would have tried to stop him instead of helping him cover his tracks! And I know you've been spying on me and reporting back to him!"

"Is that so?" Jellal mused.

"A mistake on my part." Siegrain added. "In retrospect, perhaps I should have said something that would have convinced you I was going to find Jellal and kill him. But my biggest mistake was running into you in the first place, especially after all the trouble I went through to become a Councilmember."

"There's nothing worse than having to come up with excuses on the spot."

"I get it… So the two of you have been conspiring this whole time." Erza accused them.

"Conspiring?" Jellal questioned.

"Not exactly…" Siegrain finished the thought.

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." Jellal taunted her, and in the next moment, Siegrain became transparent, and they spoke up at the same time. "We're not twins, but two faces of one person! And we have been from the start!"

Siegrain then stepped into Jellal, and the man began to glow as his appearance seemed to change slightly by absorbing all of his power once again. He now looked a cross between Siegrain and Jellal as he smirked at Erza and Natsu. Natsu's jaw was touching the floor at this point.

"WHAAAT?!"

"How is that possible?!" Erza questioned. "Was he just a projection?!"

"You never suspected for a moment we were one and the same." Jellal sneered, as it became crystal clear that 'Siegrain' had simply joined the Magic Council in order to fire the Etherion when the time was right. Jellal continued to taunt Erza with dark amusement. "I hope you enjoyed that freedom I granted you all those years ago! Your release and everything after was all part of my plan to resurrect Zeref. Or rather, that _was_ the plan, for as I said… I was not able to fire the Etherion, and thus power up the Tower of Heaven. Therefore, you are no longer needed, and will be brought to a swift end here and now!"

"How can you live with yourself, knowing your entire life has been one big lie?!" Erza growled out as she clenched her free fist in frustration.

Jellal, however, did not seem perturbed by the furious faces of his opponents.

"Magic Energy… I can feel it _surging_ through my body!" A purple aura seemed to envelop his body before he struck his fist out precisely just as Natsu came flying at him with a lightning-infused punch – which sent Natsu soaring back until he burst through one of the walls and brought down a huge section of it. He ignored the blue flying cat that went after the Dragon Slayer, and instead focused his attention on Erza, who came swinging at him again with her blade, which he blocked with one arm and then sent her crashing into a wall with a violent roundhouse kick. "My, my! You both are looking a little worse for wear! Don't tell me Ikaruga wore _both_ of you down! What would you have done if everything _had_ gone according to plan?!"

Erza punched at the floor furiously before Requipping a giant sword, pulling it out of a Magic Circle that hovered over the floor. She charged him again with an enraged shriek.

"JELLAL…! YOU'RE THOUGH!" She managed to land a hit on him, but Jellal didn't seem fazed, so she pulled out an even bigger sword from her pocket dimension and began swinging at him with both blades; pretty soon, though, Jellal was dodging her strikes with fluid ease.

"It's such a shame things didn't work out! Had they went without a hitch, you would have been sacrificed, and the Magic Council would have been obliterated in one fell swoop! I had a faithful pawn even on the Council, but it appears she became self-aware recently and subsequently ruined everything! It just goes to show that the only person you can ever _truly_ trust… is yourself."

Erza growled again as she shook with uncontainable rage at Jellal's actions and words.

"Curse you…! I'm taking revenge for all the people you've abused! This is the end, Jellal! I'll _kill_ you!" She punctuated each statement with the slash of a blade, which Jellal continued to dodge nimbly.

Well. Until Natsu came flying up in a burst of speed with Happy, using flames on his fists to propel him faster and faster.

"You think you can just use 'n abuse everyone else in the world?!" The Dragon Slayer screamed as his fist of flames connected with the side of Jellal's head and sent him bouncing until he crashed into the Lacrima in the center of the room, making some of it crumble as a result. Happy then detached from Natsu's back and went off to go hide, and the Dragon Slayer conjured up lightning and fire Magic in his mouth before he unleashed it on Jellal in a devastating blast. "Lightning Fire Dragon's… ROAR!"

The ensuing explosion proceeded to take out a good chunk of the room, thankfully away from Erza. Natsu laughed as that seemed to do the trick. However, amidst the roaring flames and raging lightning, the silhouette of Jellal stood, now jacketless and in a black sleeveless shirt, and seemingly waved his hand in a motion that cast the flames away from him. Though with the lightning added in, Jellal was glowering at Natsu. Half the room was now revealed to have a crystal-like floor, ceiling, and pillars, while half of it was still covered. The Lacrima jutting out from the center of the room was absolutely wrecked.

"I must say you are living up to your reputation, Dragneel… if just barely. I think it's about time for playtime to be over! METEOR!" He shouted as a golden glow shrouded around him, and he began to float as he burst forward with great speed to strike at Natsu. He was visibly surprised when Natsu caught his fist and pounded his face with his free fist that was once again ablaze.

"FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST! WING ATTACK! SWORD HORN! FLAMING ELBOW!" Natsu proceeded to dish out attack after attack, but was forced to stop when Jellal pulled back and fly around 'aimlessly', gaining speed the entire time.

"I hope you're happy you got those hits in… Because it's time I showed you the depths of my power!" Jellal came at him from side and pummeled Natsu with many rapid punches; yet he was forced to withdraw again when Erza tried to cleave him in half with her swords. He floated just out of their reach and made a hand motion as he prepared his next spell, which took the form of seven lights that formed a constellation of sorts above him. "I shall rain down judgment upon you… Seven Star Sword! GRAND CHARIOT!"

As he called this out, the seven lights came crashing down on Erza and Natsu, forming the same constellation on the ground and devastating them both. When the dust settled, the rest of the throne room had crumbled, revealing the top level of the Lacrima in its entirety. Natsu and Erza were both lying on the cracked ground, unmoving; this got Jellal to touch back down on the Lacrima with overwhelming arrogance.

"Hmph. Grand Chariot strikes with the devastation of an actual meteor; frankly, I'm surprised they're still in one piece. Though I suppose they _are_ S-Class mages of Fairy Tail…" He crouched down to get a feel of the Lacrima, frowning at the damage he caused to it. "Nothing that it can't take, but I can't afford to unleash anymore attacks of that magnitude without irreparably damaging the Lacrima… It needs to be as intact as possible to eventually contain the Magical Energy of Etherion."

As he was saying this, he was forced to do a double-take when a tiny Lacrima chunk was thrown at his leg. Natsu was now moving, albeit shakily, as he propped himself up and glared at Jellal. In determination, he punched the Lacrima floor with an intense Fire Dragon's Iron Fist attack, which garnered an enraged reaction from Jellal.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"You need this Lacrima thing intact, huh? Well, let's test its durability then!" He punched the floor again, causing the already existing cracks to lengthen and deepen. Jellal seethed and dashed forward to punch the Dragon Slayer into a wall angrily.

"I WON'T LET YOU! NO MORE SETBACKS!" There was then a violent tremor from below, which caused Jellal to stumble back as he lost his balance. "What now?!"

"Sh-Sho and the others…" Erza wheezed out as she got to her feet in determination. Feeling Jellal's eyes on her, she glared back at him. "Simon contacted me a little bit ago; when I told him the truth of what the Tower was, he understood and promised they would wreck this place while we deal with you. It's over, Jellal! Gray and Mira are just as good as destroying things as me and Natsu. You should know that as an 'esteemed' member of the Council!"

Jellal gnashed his teeth and glared at Erza with a look of pure hatred. His fists were clenched, and he was visibly shaking.

"You would dare… I WILL KILL YOU ALL TO MAKE YOU PAY!" He screamed as he rushed Erza, but was kicked harshly to the side with a flaming kick and sent smashing into another Lacrima wall. Natsu smirked as his feet touched the ground, and he punched his open palm smugly.

"Now I'm all fired up, even more than I've been before!"

Another violent tremor rocked the Tower, and Jellal pushed himself off the wall with his feet to propel himself toward the Dragon Slayer.

"I won't let you fools spoil my plans so completely...!" Jellal then launched a barrage of energy beams with his Heavenly Body Magic that Natsu simply weathered before igniting both his fists and bringing them together.

"FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAMES!" Natsu held the massive fireball over his head before unleashing it on the airborne Jellal.

Jellal quickly conjured a similarly massive attack of his Heavenly Body Magic that blasted toward Natsu and set off the fireball prematurely while also sending the Dragon Slayer skidding backwards.

"Natsu!" Erza called out in worry, but gaped as the pink-headed young man split the Heavenly Body Magic attack in two and dashed toward the Jellal, who was still speeding toward him.

"You afraid to wreck your precious Tower?! Sorry to break it to ya, but if you don't go all-out, your attacks ain't gonna work against me!"

"Shut your mouth…!" Jellal unleashed one more abrupt energy beam that hit Natsu square in the chest and sent him flying back again. Then, Jellal stopped and began to prepare something more… thorough to destroy the Dragon Slayer. Crossing his arms above his head, a black orb of Magic was beginning to swirl into existence and grow in size; all nearby shadows were being pulled toward it, and inside the orb there were many white lights, giving the attack the appearance of the nighttime sky. "You'll fall by Altairis, Dragneel! _This_ is the price you pay for your defiance! Now, disappear!"

Erza looked on in horror and moved on pure instinct as Jellal put the finishing touches on his devastating attack. He hadn't thrown it yet, so there was still time to shield Natsu!

 _'That attack could kill Natsu… I can't… I_ won't _let him die because I involved him in this mess…!'_ Erza thought grimly to herself as she slid a meter in front of Natsu, who was standing up once again, with her arms outstretched. In the next moment, Jellal threw Altairis, and it bore down on them with incredible speed. Needless to say, Erza was _not_ expecting Happy to glide in and snatch her out of harm's way. She shrieked in horror as nothing was standing between Natsu and Jellal's attack now. "Happy…! PUT ME DOWN! NATSU!"

"I'm sorry, Erza…" Happy sounded truly sad as he took the redhead to a safe distance. He recalled the brief talk he and Natsu had when he'd gone to pick Natsu up after Jellal had sent him flying through that wall earlier; he'd made Happy promise him something.

* * *

 _"Happy. There's something I need you to do for me…"_

 _"What is it, Natsu?" Happy asked as he carried his pal back up to the throne room._

 _"Not right now, but if it looks like Jellal's gonna kill Erza… I want you to get her out of the way." Natsu remarked with a fierce expression. "No matter how it may look at me, you do_ not _let Erza die, got that? No matter what she says, no matter how much she screams for you to put her down… You save her."_

 _"B-But… Natsu…" Happy trailed off uncertainly._

 _"PROMISE ME!" Natsu demanded of the blue cat, to which the cat further looked downcast._

 _"I promise, Natsu…"_

* * *

As Happy looked back toward his best friend, however, he was shocked to see Natsu preparing a counterattack to Jellal's Altairis. His hands were coated in flames and lightning, and he was swinging his arms about in a vortex, generating a devastating force that rivaled Altairis as the two surged on toward a headlong collision. There was then a giant explosion as the two attacks lost their forms and released a great force of Magical Energy.

Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade. The attack he used to overcome Laxus in the S-Class Trials two years ago. Except this time, Natsu had put a great deal more power behind it, because Natsu didn't have to hold back against Jellal.

"Natsu…" Erza whispered, completely stunned and no longer fighting Happy's rescue. When the dust settled, both Natsu and Jellal were revealed to be okay – though Jellal looked quite livid that Natsu was somehow able to counter even Altairis.

No one died from that exchange.

"You… have that much power…?" Jellal seethed furiously, once more clenching his fists. "You are a COCKROACH, Dragneel! DAMN YOU!"

In that moment, the most violent of tremors rocked the Tower of Heaven, and ever-so-slightly, everyone at the top could feel the structure leaning in one direction. It didn't take much brains to deduce that the others had gone and taken out a huge chunk of the tower, somewhat akin to chopping down a tree. Cut into it deeply enough, and eventually the structure will lose its balance and crash unceremoniously to the ground.

"HAPPY! GET ERZA OUT OF HERE!" Natsu shouted even as he and Jellal began to slide along the floor at an increasing rate of speed. Erza looked like she was about to begin resisting again, but Happy quickly acquiesced to Natsu's demand and flew down from the top level in the opposite direction that the tower was falling.

Jellal, meanwhile, was too distracted by the fact that the fools from Fairy Tail, as well as his former friends and slaves, had _knocked down his precious tower_. His plan had _completely_ fallen apart.

"DRAGNEEL!" Jellal howled with unbridled fury and proceeded to use his Meteor Magic to launch himself toward Natsu.

Natsu smirked and prepared one last repeat performance of his last attack to end the fight. Generating the vortex of lightning and flames, even as Jellal sent another barrage of energy beams his way, Natsu called out the name of the attack for good measure as he unleashed it without hesitation.

"CRIMSON LOTUS: EXPLODING LIGHTNING BLADE!"

Jellal shook in anger as he had no route of escape, even with Meteor activated around him. He wouldn't get fast enough in time, and there was no time to prepare a counterattack powerful enough to meet Natsu's attack head-on. All he could do was float there as the attack exploded and overwhelmed him, screaming in pain as he did so. This time when the dust settled, the golden light around Jellal faded, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony, and he was sliding back due to gravity still taking the tower down, slowly but surely.

Natsu rushed forward and took hold of him by the arm, hefting the azure-haired man over his shoulders with some fatigue clearly visible.

"Let's go, pal… Despite all the crap you put us through, I'm not gonna let you just die on us. You need to face justice for what you did, _and_ we need to look into freeing you from that evil spirit." Natsu knew Jellal couldn't hear him, but he felt a lot better saying that out loud. The Dragon Slayer then rushed up the Lacrima until he reached the edge that was quickly approaching its zenith. From there, he took the uneven 'ramp' that was the spiky Lacrima wall and rushed down it. He couldn't afford to be picky as the floor below him was progressively getting flatter.

Before long, there were two winged silhouettes quickly approaching Natsu, and the Dragon Slayer smirked when he realized it was Mira and Happy. Who knew the day would come when he would be _glad_ to see Mira in her demonic form? When they got close, Natsu handed Jellal's unconscious body over to Mira, and allowed Happy to fly him the rest of the way down. Soon after they touched down where the others were, the huge chunk of falling tower resounded with a deafening crash on the island.

Though they all looked somewhat haggard… the nightmare was finally over. They had defeated Jellal and destroyed the Tower of Heaven. No one on their side had died, so it seemed like an ideal resolution to the incident had been reached.

* * *

Shortly after the members of Teams Crimson Flame, Mira, and Jellal had departed from the island on a small lifeboat, they were stopped by the military, which had set up a perimeter around the island, waiting to see how the incident would unfold. Jellal was taken into custody, of course; and though it was questioned what role the members of Team Jellal had played in the conflict, they were spared time in prison for helping to construct the tower because they were more victims than collaborators, and really, they did aid the members of Fairy Tail (Juvia provisionally counted amongst their members until Makarov officially approved of her membership), and they wouldn't have been nearly as well coordinated had it not been for Simon and his telepathy.

The Rune Knights dropped them all off at Akane Resort, and then spirited Jellal away from there to stand trial and face judgment for all the crimes he'd committed over the past eight years. Obviously, no one was in the mood to celebrate despite right when they got back, so they resolved to have a celebration the following evening and just use that night and the following day to rest up in their rooms. Natsu and Erza provided money for Team Jellal to afford two rooms for the night, and Mira just accepted Juvia into her own room.

No one objected to the arrangements; they just crashed the moment they got to their rooms. Well, except for two people, who still had enough energy to talk at least…

* * *

Natsu and Erza were lying flat on the hotel bed, both of them in a similar position of having their heads tilted toward one another, staring into one another's eyes in utter exhaustion. After a while, Erza broke the silence in the darkened room, the only source of light being the moon shining through the windows.

"Natsu… That was one _hell_ of a thing you did…" Erza's voice quivered with raw emotion, tears staining her eyes as she stared at Natsu.

"I know…" Natsu answered quietly, not even bothering to defend his actions. He knew Erza needed to vent. They were exhausted, but that didn't stop Erza from glaring at him with a mixture of anger, worry, and relief. He didn't even know those three emotions could go together in one glance.

"Then… why did you do it…?" Her voice was strained; it clearly hurt her to think of what might have happened in that one moment, where she had nearly lost all hope. Her voice was very hoarse as she tried shouting at him, squeezing her eyes shut tight as the tears kept coming. "Why did you have Happy get me out of the way?! Jellal could have _killed you_ …!"

Erza gasped as she found herself suddenly scooped up in a hug. They were now on their knees on the bed, and Natsu was holding her tight. Though it was a little hard to tell at first, Erza could feel tears moistening her shoulder as Natsu buried his head in it, his teeth clenched together.

"Because I'm a selfish bastard…" Natsu whispered hoarsely. He shook with deep sadness as Erza just sat there, unmoving in her shock. "Because I couldn't let the man who tormented you with nightmares for the past eight years take your life… I'm sorry I was so reckless, Erza, but I couldn't let it happen…! I went with my gut and met his attack head-on with one of my strongest attacks, not knowing for sure if I could stop it. I had to stay optimistic; I made you a promise that I wouldn't die, so the sensible thing to do was get _you_ out of harm's way… I'm so sorry, Erza…"

Erza's eyes softened, but the tears continued to fall down… even out of her artificial right eye. She returned Natsu's hug affectionately and massaged his back.

"N-Natsu… I was just so worried… I… I thought my heart shrank in on itself as I watched you stand your ground. I couldn't breathe. Any movement on my part was a futile struggle of escaping Happy to go after you; I couldn't stand to lose you, Natsu. N-Not there at the same place I lost Grandpa Rob… N-Not to Jellal… I was so scared. You wouldn't believe the relief that washed over me when you _did_ manage to counter his attack. It was a miracle.

They held one another for a brief while longer, before they slightly parted and Erza cupped one of his cheeks in her hand as they stared into one another's tear-filled eyes.

"Natsu, this whole experience has taught me that you don't die for your friends; you live for them. We were both very stupid, and I'm sorry for worrying you, too. Thank you for beating Jellal and keeping your promise. Y-You've done more than enough me enough favors and miracles to last one lifetime, s-so I want to do something for you, too. For all you've done, you deserve a family, and I'm happy to be marrying you. J-Just… please, don't leave me."

Natsu stared into her eyes for several long moments before nodding his head slowly.

"Y-Yeah… I'll promise to stay by your side, Erza. After all the crap you've been through, you deserve _at least_ that much. You deserve a family just as much as I do, and I wanna be able to protect it 'n make it happy. Our kid's gonna be awesome, y'know?"

Erza went quiet at that; Natsu could practically hear the gears churning around in her head. Then, her eyes took on this determined look as she locked eyes with him.

"Tomorrow. After we celebrate with everyone. I won't wait anymore."

"T-Tomorrow…?" Natsu squeaked out and blushed fiercely, but quickly nodded his head to give his consent. Erza then pecked him on the cheek and brought them both back down on the bed before cuddling with him snugly.

"I love you so much, Natsu…"

"… I love you, too, Erza. G'night…" He muttered as they drifted off to sleep in one another's arms.

There would be nothing but pleasant dreams for Erza from now on. Natsu would make sure of it.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Weeell, I didn't want to cut the conclusion in half like this, but this is another good stopping point. A** _ **fluffy**_ **good stopping point. We'll get to the epilogue next time and see what happens with Team Jellal. I'm lookin' forward to it. :D**

 **And FYI,** _ **yes**_ **, that means we'll be seeing the third member of Team CF getting 'initiated' to the team, so-to-speak. Not Wendy, 'cause she's the fourth, and Ultear and Meredy will be the fifth and sixth (yes, Guest, you were right on that front). I think you'll be able to guess who's the third member pretty soon; he's not 'powerful' like Natsu and Erza, but he's got a unique skillset to bring to the team. Kinda like how Wendy will bring her healing/support Magic.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, 'cause this was fun to write! :D And Guest who asked if they should make an account: That will be up to you to decide, but it might be nice to respond to you through PM instead of waiting until the next update. Not all members of this site are writers; some just make an account to Favorite all the stories they like to read. I get my fair share of those readers… But I'm not gonna force you to do anything. This works just as well as PMs.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Point-in-Time: Tower of Heaven Arc**

* * *

About mid-morning, everyone was starting to stir and go down for breakfast. Natsu and Erza were notably absent, but Happy explained they were still sound asleep.

"Oh? Are they _exhausted_ more than usual?" Mira asked with a pointer finger on her cheek and a twitchy eye.

"Well, yeah, they're the ones who took down the leader of Trinity Raven and Jellal, after all." Happy replied innocently, much to Mira's annoyance.

"Were they dressed, or were they in the buff?" Mira tried a more direct approach, which got Gray to slap his face. Thank Kami the members of Team Jellal weren't in earshot of that…

"Clothed." Happy answered without missing a beat. "Well, you know Natsu's always in that vest of his, but he had it on. They were smiling and cuddling, though!"

A mischievous aura sounded Mira as she inched closer to Happy with her fingers moving about playfully.

"Take me up to see them!" The white-haired mage, frankly, did her best to suppress her evil chuckles… but was largely unsuccessful. At Happy's suspicious glare, Mira added, "Just to make sure they're okay!"

Happy sweatdropped at Mira's would-be shenanigans.

"I would if I could, but I don't have a key to the room, and it didn't feel right taking one of theirs, so the room is locked up tight."

Now a gloomy, defeated aura was hanging over Mira. Gray just shook his head.

"Do you really think Erza would leave a weakness like that wide open? It's really not hard to get Happy to do anything if you bribe him with fish; of course they're not gonna leave him a key." He backed up as Mira's mischievous aura snapped back into place and she maneuvered on him next.

"Your Ice Make Magic… If I recall, you can make exact replicas of things, including keys…"

"If it was a normal key, probably." Gray sarcastically replied. "I can't copy electronic key cards!"

Cue Mira's return to depression. Juvia took this time to approach the trio from Fairy Tail.

"S-So… Is it really okay if Juvia joins Fairy Tail? Can… Can I go to the Guild and ask your Master to join right now?"

"Yeah, sure." Gray nodded his head, but the blue-haired woman was stopped when Mira did another one-eighty in personality shift and smiled ever-so-sweetly. A little _too_ sweetly.

"Tell Makarov I want to talk to him when I get back. About something… very… personal…"

At Juvia's confused expression, Gray sighed exasperatedly and just shot her a disarming smile.

"Just tell 'im we know about the 'engagement', and Mira's pissed that she wasn't in the know. Master will know _exactly_ what we're talking about."

"Um… Okay." Juvia said, still not completely getting the joke… But Mira was nodding, so Juvia promised to pass along the message and promptly took her leave, unknowing of the panic she'd cause with just a few words.

Shortly after Juvia left, the members of Team Jellal came walking up. The three males stayed focused on Gray and Mira, but Milliana lost it when she saw Happy and lunged toward him with a big grin on her face.

"Oooh! A pwecious kitty-witty! Meow!" She ignored Happy's tears as she nuzzled him affectionately against her face.

Wally tipped his hat at Gray in greeting.

"So where's Erza and Salamander? They still conked out?"

"Apparently. Didn't get all the details last night, but Jellal was supposedly one of the Ten Wizard Saints – I still can't believe Flamebrain beat him. I mean, we battled another one of them not too long ago, and we had to rely on Laxus and one of his special moves to take the guy out. That idiot's going to be holding this over my head for a while…"

Mira tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, if memory serves, 'Siegrain' was the weakest of the Ten, while Master Jose was ranked about eighth, I think, just under Master Makarov, who is Number Seven. So maybe it's not as bad as you think?" She giggled at his deadpan expression.

"Still one of the toughest Wizards on the continent, Mira. Hardly matters if he's one or two spots below Jose… My point is, Jellal wasn't a run-of-the-mill S-Ranked threat. Natsu beat him, I didn't."

"Damn straight, Ice Princess!" Natsu cackled as he and Erza walked up, hand in hand. Natsu was in his regular clothes, but now Erza was in a light blue dress with some bandages wrapped around her upper body and arms. All eyes were on them now. Mira did not miss the fact Erza was flaunting the… very nice… engagement ring… "So what's the plan for today, guys?"

Erza lightly punched him in the arm for not saying 'hi' first, but no one seemed to mind. Wally was the first to speak up as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.

"Before that… we just wanted ta say sorry for all the trouble we caused at first. We didn't mean ta hurt you or nothin'."

"We're really sorry…" Milliana echoed with a tinge of sadness to her voice, even as she suffocated Happy with a hug.

"I should be the one apologizing…" Erza quietly replied, her eyes downcast. "I left you in the Tower for all those years. I hope you can forgive me."

Natsu gave Erza's hand a reassuring squeeze, and Sho spoke up for all of Team Jellal.

"We've already forgiven you, Sis!"

Simon smiled wryly at the heavy tension in the air. He knew Sho, Wally, and Milliana felt immensely guilty about doubting her for the past eight years; and he knew Erza was simply trying to help everyone move on. Just where would they go from here?

"Y-You could join Fairy Tail…" Erza shyly suggested, much to the shock of Sho, Wally, and Milliana. Simon… anticipated she might suggest something like that, so he kept quiet but kept a smile on his face. "Give Guild life a try."

"Wh-Wha…!" Sho gasped.

"Whoa, really?!" Wally exclaimed.

"Meow! You sure that's okay?" Milliana asked uncertainly.

"Of course, but I don't want to put any pressure on you. So I'll let you think it over for a bit." Erza explained casually.

"I dunno about you, but I'm pretty sold on the idea already!" Wally said, turning to face Milliana.

"There'd be a new adventure every day!" Milliana cheered.

"If we could all stay together, that would make me feel very happy." Erza told them truthfully, giving each of them a warm smile.

She didn't miss how Sho appeared downcast at this suggestion. However, Simon placed his hand on Sho's shoulder, getting the blond to look up at him in surprise.

"We'll think it over as a team." Simon promised Erza. Turning his eyes toward her while keeping his hand on Sho's shoulder, he added, "Personally, I would like to keep our family together as well. It's no different from what Fairy Tail is, right? A place where mages can come together, regardless of personal background, and become a family that transcends blood ties. A place to call home."

Sho stared up at Simon in awe as he said this, as did Wally and Milliana. In that instant, the blond knew he would likely be scrapping his original plans of rejecting the offer… Such plans might have worked had Simon not put it in such heartfelt terms, but now even Sho was yearning to join his Sister at Fairy Tail. Maybe get to know the people that looked after her in the years she was away.

Sho felt he didn't deserve Erza's kindness. However… he might just listen to what Simon, Wally, and Milliana thought about it all.

* * *

The eight of them spent that day together, laughing and overall having a good time at the resort. When night fell, Natsu and Gray unleashed fireworks to celebrate what they hoped was a new beginning for Erza and her old friends. As promised, Team Jellal talked over the offer to join Fairy Tail; they weighed the pros and cons, even listening to Sho's concerns about them unnecessarily reminding Erza about her harsh past.

Simon pointed out that Erza had no qualms with working together with them when they took down the Tower of Heaven. She completely trusted every one of them, and they did in fact take down members of Trinity Raven as well as the tower itself. They doubted her for eight years, but when they reunited with her, they listened to her side of the story. True, Simon might have had a hand in convincing them of what Erza said, but the point is they came around, and Erza was perfectly aware of this. She cared for them deeply, having kept quiet for eight years so that Jellal wouldn't kill them.

If that wasn't enough, joining Fairy Tail wouldn't hinder their freedom. Various members were known for leaving the Guild for long periods of time, and not just because of Quests; as long as they checked back every now and then, and didn't betray the Guild, they would be allowed to roam free. All joining Fairy Tail did was give them a home to return to, where they knew Erza and potential new friends would be awaiting them after each new adventure.

How could they not get onboard with something like that? If they gave Erza 'bad memories', then they would just have to resolve to create new ones with her. There were no hard feelings; Erza was clearly happy to just be reunited with them again. And now none of them wanted to part ways with her.

After the former Team Jellal confirmed they would accept the offer to join Fairy Tail, Erza dragged Natsu off to their room so they could 'rest' for the trip home the following day…

"NATSU! Let me in!" Happy scratched at the door, wanting to sleep on the comfy hotel room chair. However, as if sensing he was out in the open, Milliana snatched the blue cat up joyfully and dragged him off to her room. Blissfully unaware of why Happy might be stuck out in the hall like that.

… Oh, who are we kidding. The engaged couple wouldn't be getting sleep until _much later_.

"Pants _off_ , Natsu…" Erza growled as she tugged at the article of clothing, having already Requipped out of all her clothes. Natsu was beet red in the face at the whole ordeal, finding it hard to believe it was actually happening.

It was one thing to take a bath or shower together – it was another thing entirely to do… _that_ …

"O-Okay, okay… J-Just take it easy, okay? I haven't read those books of yours. L-Let's just take this one step at a time…"

"You will sex me until I cannot walk straight! I have _waited_ for this!"

"…" Natsu went glossy-eyed as Erza finally shimmied off his pants and pushed him onto the bed, unable to form words to respond to that.

* * *

Well, she asked. Natsu might have gone into it like a novice, but he lasted about three 'rounds' before exhaustion overtook them both. When they got up the next morning to head back to the Guild with everyone, there was a telltale limp in Erza's step, but both Natsu and Erza appeared very happy. Erza's old friends were kind enough to not bring it up, but the same could not be said of Mira and Gray, who dragged Erza and Natsu aside respectively in an attempt to pry into the juicy details.

… Let's just say Erza shut both of them up and dragged a flushed-face Natsu away before their rivals could embarrass the information out of them. If they tried anything further, Erza would punish the heck out of them, because she did not wait that long to do _that_ with Natsu, only for it to be a piece of gossip. Natsu was perfectly fine with keeping quiet about that kinda stuff, if only because he wasn't a raging pervert like Gildarts or Makarov… yet. Erza was still working on it, at least when it came to her. Being perverted with her was perfectly fine, flattering even… anyone else, and Natsu would be _punished_ …

Now they would just have to wait and see if their efforts bore any fruit.

At any rate, carnal relations aside, the eight mages returned to Fairy Tail that afternoon, only to find that they had a new-and-improved Guild Hall. And the former members of Team Jellal were quick to discover that this was just as much an awe-inspiring to the S-Class mages as it was to them.

"Wow!" Natsu and Happy exclaimed together. "They finished building it?!"

"Well, this is a surprise." Erza remarked as they made their way in.

"There it is, Fairy Tail's new Guild Hall…" Gray muttered. He did a double-take as he saw the first room they came into. "We've got a café now?!"

"Hmm. We have a gift shop now?" Mira tilted her head curiously at the sight of it. Max appeared to be running it, and they had a wide assortment of memorabilia.

"Hey there! Glad you guys made it back okay! What's new?" Max greeted Teams Mira and Crimson Flame, as well as the four new arrivals.

"They've got you running the gift shop, Max?" Happy asked as he floated over to the beige-haired man. "It's been a while since we've seen you around the Guild!"

Max scratched his cheek sheepishly.

"Well, Master made me go back to school, 'cause he wanted me to take some business classes…"

"Who's this guy, Erzy-werzy?" Milliana asked the redhead as the two of them walked up to the gift shop.

"This is Max Alors. He's usually in charge of the Guild's social activities." Erza then introduced Max to Milliana.

"It's nice to meet you, Milliana! I bet you'll get along great with everyone!" He gave a wide grin.

"So what kinda stuff are you selling here?" Happy asked.

"Well, we've got t-shirts, wristbands, mugs, towels, and of course there's our most popular item…" He trailed off as Happy picked up one of Erza's action figures; there was actually a figure for each member of Teams Mira and Crimson Flame, amongst other popular mages of Fairy Tail.

"Wow, an Erza action figure!" Happy proceeded to move the arms and legs a bit, and accidentally triggered a mechanism that popped her armor off.

"It's poseable, and her armor comes off!" Max immediately wilted as he said this. Naturally Erza was giving him a cold, pupil-less glare.

"I don't recall giving you permission to make such a product… Is Natsu's the same way…?" When she received a timid nod in return, Erza dragged Max out from behind the counter to go have a private 'talk' about 'impropriety'… Even if _technically_ the toys only stripped down to their underwear.

Natsu and the others largely ignored this for now, though, choosing instead to look around the Guild some more. Wally tipped his hat in amazement, as he'd never been in a place like it before.

"I could get used to this…" Simon, Sho, and Milliana were all in agreement with him.

"Hey, man, what's wrong?" Gray asked Natsu as if he sensed the Dragon Slayer's surly mood. The pink-headed young man had his arms crossed and his mouth and chin buried in his scarf.

"I'm not so good with change…"

Levy seemed to finally notice Natsu, Gray, Mira, and their new arrivals, and she waved over at them. Lucy, Jet, and Droy were right behind her.

"Hey, guys! Glad to have you back! Isn't this awesome? Guess what?! There's now a swimming pool behind the bar!" She proceeded to show them it, and Romeo waved hi when they were there, as did Alzack and Bisca, who were currently in the pool.

"I-It seems we went from one resort to another…" Simon trailed off in amazement.

"It's just not the same…" Natsu grumbled.

"And we've even got a game room down in the basement!" Levy further explained some of the Guild's new features.

"It's a lot bigger than before…" Mira mused.

"I don't like it." Natsu continued to give his negative opinion.

"But the biggest change is upstairs, 'cause now everybody's allowed to go to the second floor." Levy concluded just as Elfman came into view up there and saluted them. "Master actually lets a lot more of us go on S-Class Quests, but only if an S-Class Wizard agrees to go along."

It was around this time that Erza returned to the group, having left Max in the corner with a few bumps on his head, and she overheard Levy's explanation about the second floor and S-Class Quests. Makarov also came over to greet them.

"Well! I see you dunderheads made it back safely, and it even looks as if you have some more new recruits!" Makarov remarked, eying the members of the former Team Jellal.

"Y-Yes, sir! We'd very much like to join!" Sho earnestly replied, getting nods of agreement from Wally and Milliana.

Makarov grinned widely at this.

"I'm sure there'll be no problems. It's nice to get six new recruits in one day, the more grandkids, the merrier – which reminds me, I'd like you to meet Fairy Tail's newest member, Juvia! Isn't she a cutie?!"

"I can't wait to work with you!" The blue-haired woman did a curtsy.

Gray chuckled.

"So you actually made it in, huh?"

Mira smirked mischievously.

"If you want to tag along with Gray on missions, you'll have to join Team Mira…" She remarked in a singsong tone. Juvia promptly got up in her face as a comical dark aura surrounded her.

" _We will fight for Gray_ …!" Juvia hissed, clearly sensing a love rival when there wasn't one. But Mira took it in stride and smiled serenely back at Juvia. She would soon learn that Gray was completely on the market, and then… Mira would have her fun.

Erza cupped her chin and frowned thoughtfully.

"Master… You said there was 'six' new recruits? Who is the sixth?"

"Ahhh, yes." Makarov nodded in understanding. "It's someone you might recognize."

Natsu, Erza, and Gray turned collectively to see Gajeel Redfox standing there, looking none too pleased to be there.

"Huh?! Isn't that Gajeel?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Gray exclaimed equally in shock. "Why'd you let him in here, Gramps?!"

Juvia proceeded to run up to Natsu and Gray and tried to ease the tension.

"Calm down! I asked him to come along with me!" Juvia explained softly.

"I don't mind Juvia… But he's the one responsible for destroying our Guild Hall!" Erza made her opinion known with a scowl and glare on her face.

Mira was just as upset as Erza, as the Iron Dragon Slayer had tried to kidnap Lucy and had given her brother quite the beating. As well as Team Shadow Gear and a few others. However, Makarov didn't seem concerned.

"Now, now. Remember what I taught you, 'Yesterday's enemy can be today's friend', right?"

"Y-Yeah… If I'm okay with him being here, and Lu-Lu's okay with it, then you should be, too…" Levy meekly spoke up in support of Gajeel's membership. Jet and Droy didn't appear too 'okay' with it, but Lucy indeed looked as if she'd be willing to give him a chance. If only to support Levy.

"There ain't no way! I can't work with someone I can't trust!" Natsu got up into Gajeel's face.

"What's the deal? It's not like I wanna be your buddy." Gajeel told him moodily, causing Natsu to recoil in shock. So cold! "The only reason I'm here is to get work! I hate this stupid Guild and everyone in it, but times are tough, so I had no choice but to join!"

"Shut up, loser!" Natsu grumbled.

"I'm sorry!" Juvia apologized profusely to Gray. "I knew Gajeel was having a hard time finding work… and I couldn't just turn my back on him… But I don't want you to think I have a crush on him or anything!"

She said the last part rather hastily, though Gray wasn't really paying attention to her, too busy glaring at Gajeel as he was. Makarov shook his head.

"I know you kids don't like it, but as the Master of this Guild, it's my duty to help those who have gone astray find the right path. Give him a shot, you might find he's a nice guy." He looked off to the side uncertainly. "At least I hope so…"

Erza sighed lightly but nodded her head.

"Well, while I might not agree with you, I will respect your decision… But I warn you, I'll be keeping a very close eye on him."

"Fine." Makarov acquiesced.

At seeing Natsu and Gajeel glaring and growling heatedly at each other, Macao made an amused comment.

"They act more like dogs than dragons."

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed, chowing down on a fish. "You might want to break out the muzzles to be safe!"

* * *

A little while later, after Erza forced Natsu to stop trying to pick a fight with Gajeel, and Simon, Wally, Milliana, and Sho all got their Fairy Tail Guild Marks, Team Crimson Flame sat down with them to talk about what they wanted to do now. Mainly, if they wanted to join the team to ease into Guild life.

"Thanks for the offer, Sis… But I think I'll wait a bit before going on any Quests… Maybe I'll talk to some of the other members." Sho politely declined the redhead.

Milliana nodded in agreement with a cute pout.

"Meow! This place is so big, and there's so many interesting people! I can't believe you got to know so many people, Erzy-werzy!" The brunette giggled.

"I might try the game room for a bit. Seemed like a real dandy place." Wally remarked as he leaned against a wooden pillar.

Erza turned her head to Simon, expecting him to turn down the offer as well. However, he was smiling appreciatively at her and Natsu, indicating his response would be contrary to the others.

"I would honored if you would have me. If our struggle at the tower demonstrated anything, it's that you've grown truly strong, Erza. And I'm sure you as well, Natsu. I would like to offer my support in your coming battles, and, if you would allow it… I would like to train alongside you both."

"Yeah! Now you're talkin'!" Natsu grinned exuberantly as he punched his open palm. "We'll have you up to S-Class in no time!"

Erza lightly swatted him in the back of the head, sending him face-first into the carpeted floor. Well… for her it was a love tap. Others might not see it that way. Natsu was all too used to it.

"Don't listen to him. We will not rush your training, Simon, but go at the pace you can handle. We're happy to have you." She returned his appreciative smile with one of her own.

"You don't know what you're getting into!" Happy teased the muscular man. "Natsu and Erza have a tendency to go overboard!"

Simon chuckled at the playful warning.

"I can imagine they would be enthusiastic on assignments, but I'm sure it's not that bad…" The Tower of Heaven had to be a special exception, right?

Elsewhere in the Guild, a blonde Celestial Spirit mage sneezed violently, and looked from side to side, getting the distinct feeling that someone was being suckered into something that was _not_ for the weak of heart. Kami have mercy on their soul if they were joining _that_ team…

"Right!" Natsu agreed with an enthusiastic nod and crossed arms. "There might be some collateral damage every now and then, but it's to get the job done."

"We use an appropriate amount of force for every job." Erza calmly agreed with her fiancé. Never mind the fact that the level of 'appropriate' went up and down sporadically.

Sho and the others had taken their leave by this point, as they could tell Simon would be having an interesting time with Erza and Natsu. They didn't love Erza any less for who she had become, but even they could tell missions with her would be… quite interesting. Only Simon had remained optimistic, and he'd have his bubble burst pretty soon.

Shortly after Simon was accepted into Team Crimson Flame, Natsu wandered aimlessly around the new Guild Hall, leaving Erza to talk with Simon for a bit.

"It just doesn't feel the same…" Natsu muttered, and blinked owlishly when the lights went out. When some came back on, Natsu could see a stage with Mira on it, as she began to sing in celebration of their safe return to Fairy Tail. Erza found him soon after this, and she dragged him over to sit with her and Simon. They would enjoy this moment as a team. Though Gray, Juvia, and Team Shadow Gear were sitting at the next table over, too.

Amidst the crowd, Makarov was having peaceful thoughts about retirement.

 _'I'm so happy they made it back safely… I can't believe how fast my Fairy Tail children are growing up. Maybe it is about time for me to start thinking about retiring.'_

Eventually, the song came to an end, and Mira received boisterous applause.

"Huzzah! Who's up next?!" Macao cheered.

… They all turned white as ghosts at seeing Gajeel sitting up there in a white suit and hat, with a guitar on his lap. Well, most did. There were a few in Gajeel's corner, cheering him on – Juvia, Levy, Elfman, Macao, Wakaba, and Max.

"Whoa!"

"He's not half bad!"

"Show 'em what you can do, Gajeel!"

"Right on!"

Of course, the six of them were drowned out by the majority of members who did _not_ care for his performance, and were throwing stuff at him to get him off the stage.

"This has got to be the worst song I've ever heard!" Natsu whined as he clamped his hands over his ears. Gajeel threw his guitar at Natsu's face for that comment, which got the Fire Dragon Slayer to growl irritatingly. "You want a piece of me?!"

The two Dragon Slayers clashed in the air with kicks, and then descended into a wily dust cloud of squabbling, uncaring who they might drag into their brawl.

"Please, stop!" Makarov begged.

Gray threw a mug at Natsu, getting the Dragon Slayer to glower at him.

"Would you quit screwin' around?!" Gray, regrettably, made the mistake of standing too close to the table Team Crimson Flame was sitting at, and bumped Erza's plate of strawberry cheesecake to the floor when Natsu threw a chair back at him in retaliation.

Erza stared at her fallen cake with tear-filled eyes, and Simon tried to comfort her, despite not understanding why she was getting teary-eyed about it.

"He made me drop… my strawberry cake…!" Erza gasped in horror when Elfman disrespected it further and stomped on it, yelling about how they should 'take it outside'. Of course she decked Elfman for this unforgivable act, after Requipping into her Heart Kreuz Armor. "Watch it, you oaf!"

The Guild descended into another infamous, chaotic brawl soon after this. Sho, Wally, Milliana, and Simon weren't all too sure how to react to this, but Juvia was getting into it with gusto in order to 'avenge' her beloved. Erza's old friends were getting to see another side to her personality, and they just weren't sure how to react to it.

Makarov was bawling like a baby, since this just showed that he _wouldn't_ be able to retire so long as his best candidates for succeeding him were so eager to throw down with one another. Natsu, on the other hand, was grinning like a loon again.

"Now it's startin' to feel like home!" He was promptly smashed in the face by one of Gajeel's attacks, and sent flying backward. Erza was awfully quick to avenge him, bashing Gajeel in the back of the head with a giant broadsword.

It went on like that for some time, but at least Erza's old friends were getting to see the various Magical abilities that the Fairy Tail Wizards possessed, and would be able to determine who they might get along with the best; Wally, for example, seemed intrigued by Alzack and Bisca wielding guns, while Sho was interested in the card-wielding Cana. Simon, having sympathy for the Guild Master, approached him about possibly breaking up such fights with his Dark Moment spell; while Makarov was very tempted to employ such a tactic, he told Simon to reserve it for special occasions, when they absolutely needed everyone to calm down. And so the brawl went on.

For the new recruits, this kicked off their Fairy Tail adventures with a bang. For those that had been there a while, it was just another day.

* * *

A couple weeks later, Erza was missing all morning, leading Natsu, Simon, and Happy to worry about her. The beautiful redhead had been showing fatigue more often, and at home she'd been moodier and having cravings for stuff she hadn't had before… like chocolate fudge cake. It really wasn't like her at all.

When she did finally show up, dressed in her white blouse and blue skirt, Erza was practically glowing, and she apologized to Simon and Happy as she dragged Natsu off to tell him something with a wide grin on her face. Natsu had a pretty good guess as to what news she wanted to share at that point, but he didn't say a word even when they reached their home at the edge of Magnolia. Erza practically slammed the door in her excitement and locked the door as a precaution, as she absolutely wanted Natsu to be the first to hear the news, and no one else.

"Natsu… I'm pregnant." She finally said, letting out a squeal at the end and looking to him expectantly for a reaction.

Natsu gave an earsplitting grin and pulled her in for a tight, yet very loving, hug. One that Erza happily returned.

"Erza, that's awesome! Congrats! You totally deserve it. I can't wait to meet the little guy or girl."

Erza rubbed her head affectionately against the crook of his neck.

" _You_ deserve this, Natsu. After losing Igneel, melting the iron barriers around my heart, helping me grow, saving my life… You _complete_ me, Natsu. My life wouldn't be the same without you!"

Natsu rubbed the top of Erza's back soothingly.

"Hey… I'll find Igneel again, and you'll be right by my side! You've done all that stuff for me, too; I might not have been closed off like you, but you did become my anchor at Fairy Tail. The one person I could trust above all others! I only ended up doing that stuff because you went out on a limb for someone like me. It was all you."

Erza puffed out her cheeks in slight annoyance, as she believed Natsu to be underselling himself. But then the Dragon Slayer pulled apart to plant a kiss on her lips, and she momentarily forgot her annoyance. Too lost in returning his love. When the mutual kiss ended, Erza pulled them flush together again and whispered into the crook of his neck.

"I love you. We're just entering September, so we have a month and a half to prepare for the wedding. And then there's all the preparations needed for the baby…"

"We'll be ready, don't worry." Natsu promised her, running a hand through her hair softly. "I'm sure everyone's gonna help out, even if we didn't want their help. You, uh… might wanna take a break from missions, though. You're already getting fatigued, y'know?"

Erza pulled apart from him to glare defiantly at him, to which Natsu sweatdropped.

"Eventually. I won't quit on you guys so soon. I'll just… wear lighter armors. And… let you do more of the heavy lifting. For now."

… Yep, that was Erza for ya. In her defense, they had an awesome team going on with Simon added to the group, but that didn't mean Natsu had to like Erza overexerting herself like that. Simon was holding up fine, even on S-Class Quests, and Erza wasn't exactly going to want to return to average Quests after getting back into the swing of S-Class ones. Still, Natsu would play it by ear and see how it went. Once S-Class seemed to be too much for her, he'd have them take on average Quests until Erza couldn't take those on either.

So Natsu just smirked at Erza's tenacity and kissed her on the lips again, which she reciprocated with gusto. This would be a new kind of adventure, but Natsu was glad Erza would be there with him every step of the way.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thus concludes the Tower of Heaven Arc. Next time we'll see a bit how Simon functions on Team Crimson Flame (not really that hard to imagine), and might get around to Wendy at last. Wouldn't be right to not have her at the wedding, y'know? Sorry about skipping over the act of procreation, buuut I'm not quite comfortable writing lemons just yet. I might eventually delve into at least one, because the premise for this fic is to delve into different kinds of genres and situations that I'm not accustomed to writing, but for now this is the closest you get to a lemon.**

 **Obviously if or when I do write one, the fic's rating will be bumped up to M, but for now it will remain T. Hope you enjoyed!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Point-in-Time: September X784**

* * *

Erza growled in annoyance as the monster had made the dumbest last mistake of its grotesque life. She could take the jeers and taunts from that abhorrent, coarse tongue, the attacks meant to kill them, and even ignore the deluded, creepy fantasy of marrying the monster… But the moment the monster swallowed Natsu whole, it had signed its own death warrant. With Erza Scarlet being the guaranteed executioner.

The foul beast would get no mercy from her.

Simon had assured her Natsu was very much alive, and planning to bust out on his own efforts, but that did not change the fact Natsu _could_ have died. If anything, the creature had just guaranteed itself a swift, near painless death. That was all.

So with a gruesome display of swordsmanship and intense flames erupting from the monster's gut, Team Crimson Flame completed another S-Class assignment. In a show of appreciation and gratitude, the villagers gave them one of the monster's horns in addition to the payment of Jewels. Simon and Happy were a little freaked out that they were actually taking it back with them, but Natsu and Erza both thought it made for a great souvenir, and would look great next to the Memory Wall at home. Natsu volunteered to drag it back, yet Erza insisted they would share the burden together, as the redhead still wasn't onboard with letting Natsu do every little thing for her. Pregnancy might have brought a lot of changes into their lives, but Erza would be fighting tooth and nail every step of the way to 'stay useful'. She dreaded the day when she would have to stay in Magnolia until the baby was born; not because she was having second thoughts about parenthood, but because she would be off of missions for months. Who knew what kind of effects that would have on her fitness as a warrior; she would need to reenter training with a vengeance soon after the child was properly cared for. Erza would need to balance both motherhood and her role on Team Crimson Flame in order to make sure Natsu wasn't overworked while taking all of those S-Class Quests. She wouldn't be a housewife, but she wouldn't neglect her motherly duties either.

Natsu would be much the same way. He understood what kind of woman Erza was by now; she wasn't meant to be a housewife. In the time she took getting back into shape, he would be watching over the child and getting help from their Guildmates as needed. That downtime might drive him a smidge crazy, but Natsu assured Erza he could handle it; after all, she'd be goin' through the same thing. It was only fair for both Erza and the baby. Erza was touched by his resolve, and promised she'd make it up to him.

They were a team, and this would extend into marriage.

* * *

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

A man with azure-colored hair sat on the floor of his Magic-nullifying cell with his knees drawn to his chest. When he glanced at his visitor, it was with the most venomous of glares. For this Councilwoman before him, Ultear… she was one of the reasons that he had failed to complete his holy mission. One of the reasons that the tower he had worked so hard to create for so many years lay in ruins on that now-forgotten isle.

Jellal's trial had been short and swift. There was no need for deliberation; his crimes were as clear and many as the stars in the nighttime sky. The reason he had been given a life sentence instead of an immediate execution was the word of Yajima, who was a kind soul that thought execution would be too severe even in this case, Ultear, who remained an enigma, and a couple other Councilmen who were somewhat bitter that he had brought them to the brink of imminent destruction. Death was 'too good' for a man with a black heart like him, and so he would be forced to live out his days rotting in a provincial little prison cell. Just another of the Ten Wizard Saints that had fallen out of grace. Truth to tell, Jellal didn't care the least bit for that 'honorable' title he'd been given. The main reason that he had accepted it had been to make Erza and her little friends quiver in despair in their final moments… But in the end, it was all for nothing.

Jellal had nothing to say to the damn traitor in front of him, so he stayed silent. Though he allowed his consternation to be known. This only seemed to amuse the young woman, however.

"You know… some of your old allies are making their move now. Oh, but… they're not interested in Zeref." Ultear concluded with a cocky smirk, getting Jellal to glare more acidly at her, if that was even possible.

"And just how… does this concern me…?" Jellal spat, not bothering to move in the slightest.

"Tut, tut, 'Siegrain'." Ultear wiggled a pointer finger at him chidingly. "Puppets should be seen and not heard."

 _That_ got a rise out of the former Wizard Saint.

" _You_ were the puppet, you witch! If everything had gone according to plan…" He suddenly clutched at his head in agony as Ultear seemed to be doing something to torture him.

A frown marring her face, Ultear went on as if that outburst hadn't happened.

"Now… We both know who is coming for you. You may not know _why_ just yet, and frankly you won't until it's too late. For reasons beyond your comprehension, your legendary failure needed to come about. It was a nice plan – devastating the Magic Council under the ruse of resurrecting Lord Zeref, but ultimately unnecessary in the grand scheme of things, which is why the plan was tweaked to better suit our needs. We're really better off with a Council that we can easily misguide than a whole new one that we don't have our claws in. I would have happily gone along with your little game, but, well… I take my orders higher up the chain than you."

"What are you…?" Jellal seethed and screamed again when the pain in his head intensified.

"Hush, now. You played your part perfectly, providing a distraction for your superiors. The Council was so enthralled with your scheme that we managed to acquire another key to awakening Zeref." She smirked malevolently at Jellal's abject shock. "That's right. You never needed to 'resurrect' Zeref. He's out there somewhere, waiting for his devout followers to come and wake him. And unfortunately for you, you will not be among us."

"Wh-Why…? H-How could I have been so… foolish…" Jellal grunted through the pain. He didn't know exactly what Ultear was doing to him, but it was doing more than just causing him physical pain. Something was happening to his memories; certain ones being distorted or completely done away with.

"If you must know, I'm tying up loose ends, so to speak…" Ultear murmured as she methodically went through his mind. "For all of your value as my gullible pawn, you simply possess some knowledge that is too dangerous to be left discovered by the Magic Council. They were kind enough not to look too deeply with you, but after _they_ make their move… That won't be the case. If the Council realizes you were manipulated to do our bidding, they might get a peek behind-the-scenes, which is simply unacceptable for us."

"I don't… understand…" Jellal grit his teeth. "I was acknowledged as one of the Ten Wizard Saints…! How could _I_ have been manipulated to do anything?!"

Ultear rolled her eyes.

"Oh, get off your high horse. There are Wizards out there that are on par or above your level of ability that go unacknowledged. 'Wizard Saint' is such a pretentious title. I won't deny that there are some truly powerful Wizards amongst their ranks, particularly amongst the top four, but to go so far as to put themselves above _every single Wizard_ on the continent… It's shameful, really. So… arrogant." Ultear chuckled wryly as she realized she'd delved into a bit of a tangent. "You'll have to excuse me. You're probably dying to know what's going to happen next. Well, as I said _they_ will be coming for you, as they believe you can lead them to their ultimate goal. That is another reason you had to fail; you're nicely giftwrapped in this fine institution, don't you think…?"

"I'm… I don't understand why he would need me… I learned from him, not the other way around!" Jellal raged at being nothing more than a disposable pawn.

Ultear shrugged uncaringly.

"Who knows? In case it's slipped your thick skull, you've been my personal little project for the last eight years. I'm peripherally aware of their goals, members, and abilities… But you know? The specifics of their plans just never came up." The Councilwoman sarcastically quipped. Coldly, she told him in no uncertain terms, "You're a scapegoat and a means to an end. You will be left here to be retrieved as part of the bargain, but you might not have the knowledge they seek because I can't afford to be too picky in the short amount of time we have left. Maybe he will have further use for you; maybe you'll be literal _dead_ weight. Either way, the Council will once again be too caught up in the events orbiting you, and hopefully that will gain us enough time to acquire the remaining keys to awaken Lord Zeref. So despite your truly miniscule importance… take comfort in the fact that your efforts contributed to Lord Zeref's return as well as the perfect world he'll bring about. Or… don't, and be seen as a cowardly, guilt-ridden man that no one can sympathize with. You've come this far, but I'm going to leave the choice in your hands from here on out. … Not that you'll have much 'free will' because I can't take away too many of your memories or the Council will grow suspicious. In that way, you'll likely continue believing in our cause to the bitter end; but I won't deny there's a _chance_ you will 'repent' and live on, thus returning to how you were before."

Soon after she said this, Ultear finished 'tying up' this loose end and wiped Jellal's memory of this encounter. _That_ would have been the truly damning piece of evidence for the Council to use against her and Grimoire Heart. Jellal now forgot that he had tried to 'use' her at all; she did leave his memories of him meeting Brain and the future Oracion Seis intact, as taking those away would have been suspicious, if Brain kept him alive and the Council recaptured him. Ultear had also removed any trace of her Possession Magic; _that's_ what she meant by allowing him to have choice again. It's just that with his memories being as they are, there was no telling how he would behave from now on. He wasn't being influenced to think a certain way.

Jellal was at a crossroads now. It didn't matter which path he took; dead or alive, he would serve his purpose one last time. And even if he lived through the upcoming 'war', he would likely be recaptured, and forced to live out the rest of his sentence. All in all, no problem for Grimoire Heart. Now, Oracion Seis…

 _'Brain's going to be pissed…'_ Ultear smirked cruelly as soon as she had her back to the guards, who were returning to check on the prisoner. Maybe through some 'divine' providence Oracion Seis would achieve their goal, but the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory sincerely doubted it. They were the weakest member of the Balam Alliance for a reason. Only six members, a fairly weak goal (in comparison to Grimoire Heart and Tartaros), and now their 'guide' to Nirvana was compromised. Ultear chuckled darkly to herself as she walked along without a care in the world. _'I hope you won't be too hard on them, my dear Natsu and Erza…'_

* * *

"What's the deal with Junkyard?" Natsu asked as he eyed his fellow Dragon Slayer, who seemed to be off in a corner of the Guild Hall brooding. "He seems moodier than usual lately."

Team Crimson Flame had returned to the Guild after their S-Class Quest, and to say that everyone was shocked to see the engaged couple towing in a gigantic horn would be an understatement. The fact that they were so nonchalant about it was a bit offsetting, too – well, for some people, anyway. Some were just desensitized to Team Crimson Flame's antics by this point.

After everyone got their overreactions out of the way, and were promptly intimidated by Erza into accepting the horn's presence, Team Crimson Flame sat down for a bit to enjoy some refreshments and visit with friends. Team Mira was apparently out on assignment, but Team Shadow Gear was there, and so were Elfman and Loke, who came on over from the Spirit World.

"Laxus returned not too long ago…" Levy answered Natsu's question with a sheepish look. "He wasn't too thrilled about Gajeel joining the Guild, so he vented a little on the poor guy. Thankfully, Master was there to stop Laxus before he went too far."

"Poor guy?! He wrecked our Guild Hall!" Natsu grumbled, only to get elbowed in the ribs by Erza.

"Be nice. Gajeel has done nothing wrong since joining Fairy Tail. Really, I'm starting to think we've been too tough on him. We should make more of an effort to make him feel welcome."

Natsu massaged his side and grumbled a bit more before acquiescing reluctantly.

"I guess… Kinda cool we have three Dragon Slayers now, even if Laxus wasn't raised by a dragon." Natsu tried finding the positive with a small grin on his face. With that in mind, he waved over at the Iron Dragon Slayer amicably. "Hey, Gajeel! Wanna come join us?"

Gajeel didn't respond verbally. Instead, he glared at Natsu moodily before going over to the request board to search for an assignment. Levy smiled appreciatively at Natsu.

"Thanks for trying, Natsu, but I think he just needs some time to settle in before warming up to you." Shaking her head, she turned to Lucy, Jet, and Droy and motioned for them to follow her. "Let's go see if Gajeel will let us go with him again, guys!"

With that, Team Shadow Gear said their goodbyes and went over to see the Iron Dragon Slayer. It still boggled Erza that out of everyone here, the first people Gajeel was opening up to were some of the very people he hurt while a part of Phantom Lord. To be more specific, it was mostly Levy that he wasn't lashing out at. Lucy was a close second, though that seemed likely more due to the fact that Lucy was essentially Levy's best friend. … Jet and Droy were still receiving the cold shoulder, though they weren't being particularly friendly either.

"So, Natsu, what'd you wanna see me for?" Loke asked casually as he stuck around even after Lucy left, indicating he was using his own Magic to be here and not hers. Erza blinked as she recalled that before they went on the S-Class Quest, she vaguely recalled Natsu asking Lucy to tell Loke he wanted to talk about something when they got back. It was strange, but then again, Natsu, Gray, and Loke were pretty close friends for the past three years.

The Fire Dragon Slayer grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I know you probably meant it more as a joke back then, but do you remember about two years ago after I got into a relationship with Erza, and we had that celebratory drink…?"

Loke frowned as he took a moment to recall the specific memory that Natsu was talking about. Then, his eyes shot wide open, and he grinned devilishly at the Dragon Slayer.

"Oho. So you _would_ prefer me over Gray. You're right that I wasn't too serious about it, but I'm game. My little bro is growing up and getting hitched; no way I'd miss out on that!"

Having been absent for that particular conversation two years ago, Erza was somewhat lost, but had this bizarre feeling she might not like where this was going…

"Hell yeah! Stripper would kinda steal the show and not even know it. And I do mean that in a traumatic way. Hehe." Natsu and Loke high-fived in a show of brotherhood before Loke nodded sagely.

"Gray's a pretty cool dude, but he's just not cut out for such a crucial role." Loke nudged his glasses up his nose stylishly. "The best man should always remain calm, collected, professional, and stylish. It would _not_ be cool if he stripped down to his birthday suit; that would just make him seem jealous to those who don't know him."

Natsu mirrored his sage nod and put his arms behind his head in a relaxed manner, content they got that settled. However, Erza was now twitching as the boys had basically confirmed her fears.

"Loke promised to… be your best man, Natsu…?" Erza asked in an even voice, trying to keep her composure. Weird how she didn't seem to find any comfort in the fact Fairy Tail's most notorious womanizer was planning to be her fiancé's right-hand man at their wedding.

"Hmm…? Oh, yeah! Hope that's okay!" Natsu smiled cheerily, oblivious to Erza's erratic emotions to this revelation.

"…" Well, given Natsu's male friends, Gray and Loke were the closest ones to him. It was a given that his best man would be one of them. It's just… Erza did not like acknowledging this truth head-on. A stripper and a womanizer; when viewed like that, Loke really was the lesser of two evils, if just _barely_.

And frankly, if Gray had been chosen as the best man, that would have meant both the maid of honor and the best man would have been the leading members of Team Mira. Something Mira doubtlessly would have teased her about… Loke would have to be watched, but at least they'd avoid the 'embarrassment' of totally relying on their rivals.

"Fine." Erza acquiesced, putting both Natsu and Loke at ease. Then she smirked a little as she snapped the trap closed around them, so to speak. "… But you'll have to put up with Mira as the maid of honor."

Simon raised an eyebrow curiously as Natsu and Loke tensed, while Elfman laughed at their predicament. Eventually, Natsu puffed out a sigh and nodded his head resignedly.

"… Okay, sounds fair." That earned him a peck on the cheek from Erza, while Loke did not look placated in the least. Mira was just as scary as Erza, and would be able to keep him in check throughout the whole thing.

Still, Loke wasn't about to bail on his little bro anytime soon. Leaving him at the mercies of both Erza and Mira would be just cold. … Even if it was tempting to save his own hide.

"Well, I'd better get back to the Spirit World… Leader of the Zodiac and all that." Loke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'll be in touch, Natsu!"

With that, the Lion Spirit vanished, leaving Team Crimson Flame and Elfman to carry on without him.

"So what's next for you guys? Another S-Class Quest? Downtime?"

"Another Quest sounds good," Natsu mused.

"Some downtime might be nice." Erza said at the same time as Natsu. When she registered this, the redhead narrowed her eyes at the Dragon Slayer. " _Natsuuu_ …"

The pink-head held his hands up peaceably.

"Just tryin' to get more money for the house, y'know? I know you wanna expand it and stuff."

"We already have an impressive amount saved up. All we ever seem to buy is food." Erza told him, her teeth bared slightly. "What could you possibly be saving up for?!"

"Just tryin' to keep us provided for. Renovations for the house, caring for a kid… It's not gonna be cheap." Natsu tried to calm the redhead down, but knew he was frugal like hell. He knew it, Happy knew it, Erza knew it, even Simon knew it! You'd think a free spirit like him would be more spendy, but Natsu Dragneel was surprisingly thrifty. Constant S-Class Quests over the past two years did not change this aspect of him. Honestly, it was pretty wise, considering they had a kid on the way… But it made him seem so damn cheap.

Even if his reasons were selfless and loving.

"Natsu… I'm pretty sure we would stay afloat at this point. We're not trying to build a mansion." Erza strongly resisted the urge to smack him. She knew he was just concerned for his future family, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Ya think?" Natsu lightly scratched his cheek with his pointer finger sheepishly, and laughed as he ducked her fist. Okay, even he had to admit that he wanted the Quests for the action and not the money.

Elfman had slipped away by this point, fearing they would devolve into a typical Guild brawl, but before they could that far Makarov approached them with a Quest in hand.

"Actually, this came in for you the other day, Natsu. It's a collaboration with a small Guild called Cait Shelter; apparently someone wants to meet you, and it just so happens your nose would be beneficial in locating an item in the vicinity of Worth Woodsea."

Erza raised an eyebrow as she plucked the paper from the Master's hand. Few people specifically requested for Natsu, let alone their team. Most that did were from That Woman, but this in no way seemed connected to her.

"Cait Shelter, huh? Can't say I've heard of that Guild." The redhead mused. Worth Woodsea sounded vaguely familiar, but she'd probably just seen it on a map at some point and hadn't actually travelled there.

"Yes, well… As I said, it's a relatively small Guild." Makarov explained with hands clasped behind his back. "I have only met their Master at a handful of Guild Master Conferences; they tend to keep to themselves and not make trouble for anyone. Beyond that, I don't know much about their members myself."

Erza nodded in understanding, sighed after reading through the mission request, and eyed Natsu dryly.

"Well? Do you want to take it? It's ranked S-Class, but it doesn't sound that difficult."

"Of course! Someone wants to meet me, right? I'd hate to disappoint 'em." The Dragon Slayer grinned, to which the beautiful redhead glared at him sternly.

"After this, we take a few days off. I can't overexert myself, Natsu."

"G-Got it." Natsu gulped before turning to Simon eagerly. "You up for another mission, Simon?"

"Of course. Can't let you guys go in without support, now can I?"

"Count me in, too!" Happy cheerfully piped up.

Erza slowly nodded her head.

"Alright. Natsu and I will get this horn home, and then we can be on our way…" Erza tapped on the giant horn sitting behind them with her fist before Makarov held up his hand.

"Why don't you let Natsu handle that, Erza? I wanted to talk to you for a brief moment." The Guild Master stroked his chin thoughtfully as Natsu eagerly towed the horn along and back out of the Guild Hall. Simon went to go help him, somehow able to tell Makarov wanted to keep this private. Happy went along with them. "Now, Erza… When are you planning on telling the rest of the Guild about the you-know-what? You've announced your engagement, but you've kept quiet about the _other_ piece of news…"

Erza's face reddened and she stammered nervously at what the Master was insinuating.

"I-I-I don't know what you m-mean, Master… There isn't anything e-else-" She was cut off by a slightly smiling Makarov.

"Do you take me for a fool, you silly girl? I've been around long enough to tell the signs of you-know-what, and more importantly you alluded to needing a break from missions just a few moments ago. That's not like you, Erza." The Guild Master chortled.

Erza's face remained flushed as she gave her reply.

"I-I'm sorry, Master… I didn't stop to think, but… You're right. There was no fooling you, was there?" She shook her head and smiled wryly. "I… want to keep it a secret a little longer. If not for my sake, then for Natsu's; he shouldn't have to be hounded for… for just going along with what I wanted."

Knowing exactly what Erza was nervous about, he shot her a disarming grin.

"I think you'll find it won't be that bad. After all, Gray and Mira know, and they haven't told anyone, right…?" At the redhead's suspicious glance, Makarov's grin only widened. "It's not that hard to narrow down when you two… did the deed, my child. There was a bit of a limp in your step when you got back from Akane Resort, and you two looked very satisfied that day. Now, tell me… How was he?"

At the perverted question, Erza's blush came back with a vengeance, and she became even more flustered.

"Th-That is n-none of your b-business!" She stammered and wildly shook her head, even as the pleasurable memories of that night came back to her. She turned on her heel and began to walk away as Makarov chortled again.

"I expect more in the future, Erza! Don't feel afraid to do it like rabbits!" The Guild Master called after her, laughing in amusement as she scurried out of the Guild Hall even faster. Ahhh, sometimes he really loved being the grandfather to all of these kids. He really wasn't expecting the next generation to be coming along so soon, but it was nice to see young love like this. It did his heart good.

Now… If Gildarts would just get back from that SSS-Class mission of his. He'd have a lot to tell his fellow pervert!

* * *

 **Author's Note: I wanted to get to Wendy this chapter, but it wound up being more laidback in the end. I guess we need a chapter like this every now and then, though; lots of action to come. At least I fleshed out Ultear a bit; been wanting to get to her, and the scene came out smoothly, even if it was a lot of monologuing.**

 **Yes, I took some creative liberty with her abilities. My logic is that if she's able to use Possession Magic to get a pawn like Jellal (to be specific, it was some wraith-like thing that influenced his mind and enhanced his Magic, at least going by the Fairy Tail Wiki), then she's able to affect his memories somewhat; I like that a lot better than attributing his memory loss purely to his synching with the Tower of Heaven and the Ethernano particles. After all, Erza's memory wasn't affected; she experienced** _ **something**_ **while in that tower, be that an alternate timeline or just a very realistic dream, but the past eight years of her life weren't wiped out. No, I got the sense it had to do with Ultear possibly removing her Possession Magic from Jellal; that's just my theory and I'll be sticking to it to make an interesting story.**

 **Maybe a number of you will like what happens to Jellal here in this AU. I personally feel bummed a little (I might not be a huge fan of his character, but I don't completely hate him… except for when it comes to his apparent fan-favorite pairing… Then I want him to die-die-die. lol), but with Simon living on… Yeah. Let's just say the filler arc here isn't all fluff, and family, and marriage. We gotta set up the Oracion Seis Arc before delving into it, and in a way that arc will be totally bidding adieu to that azure-haired man. There will be the occasional reference to him after Oracion Seis, but he reeeally won't be popping up again and again like he did in canon. And that's why a number of you might like that… That being said, his fate has some ramifications for the Tartaros Arc, and I'm not quite sure how to 'fix' that bit of plot yet. I guess I'm pretty daring in that regard. :P**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Point-in-Time: September X784**

* * *

Makarov Dreyar never liked these tedious meetings with the Magic Council. 'Fairy Tail did this, blah, blah, blah.' 'We need you to shell out an exorbitant amount of money to pay for the damages, blah, blah, blah.' Sometimes Makarov suspected they were just charging them to forego any new taxes on the people of Fiore. Don't wanna aggravate the people, oh no. Let's bleed our friendly neighborhood Fairy Tail (who might be a _little_ enthusiastic in completing Quests) dry. Bunch of sticks-up-their-butts blowhards.

Oh… But don't tell them that he thought this at all. They might charge him more if you did.

"Just one more item to cover." Org announced, signaling to a giddy Makarov that the latest torture session was reaching its end. "As of the Tower of Heaven incident, your Guild has beaten two of the Wizard Saints that have fallen out of grace. Jura was bumped up to take Master Jose's position, but that still left two vacancies in the Ninth and Tenth positions. For your Guild's efforts, we would like to award one position to your grandson, Laxus."

"Eh." Makarov stared blankly at the Councilman before yelling out in surprise. "WHAAAT?!"

After calming down and assuring the Guild Master that this wasn't some kind of joke, they brought in Laxus who they had separately summoned to Era so that they might surprise Makarov. Well… consider him shocked. For more than just the blond's presence.

"Look, I'm honored you want to give me this, really. It's just not that big a deal to me." Laxus casually remarked, as if they were just talking about the weather. He smirked a little at his Grandfather's cries of, "Are you out of your mind, boy?! This is the highest honor you could achieve?!" And he did get all that. But… "The thing is, if I accept, people are going to have one more thing to compare me to my Grandfather. You don't wanna make this an inheritance thing; it's gonna suck not only for me, but future generations of the Dreyar family. No, if you wanna really shake things up, I think there's somebody else you should be considering."

While some Councilmen grumbled about Laxus's apparent dismissal of the title, the Chairman leaned toward the blond expectantly.

"And just who do you have in mind…?"

"Natsu Dragneel."

Those two words alone set off a chain reaction of splutters of denials and other such outbursts from the Magic Council. Well, most of them. Yajima was respectfully silent as he'd heard good things about the Dragon Slayer just as much as he'd heard about the boy's destructive tendencies; Maky was doing a fine job of grooming the next generation. And Ultear had an amused smirk tugging on her lips. Not only because the Council would be in a tizzy with having to associate with the Dragon Slayer more often, but because of what a certain redhead would react. This was horribly, _dreadfully_ amusing.

Org cleared his throat before speaking for the disgruntled majority of the Council. Out of all of them, he was perhaps the most 'reasonable'.

"That is… quite the recommendation, Laxus. Would you care to share your rationale?"

"Aside from the fact that he did your work for you at the Tower of Heaven?" Laxus cocked his head and shrugged off a few of the Councilmen's indignant cries. "The kid's got a spirit of a leader. Regardless of how bleak a situation may get, I've never known Natsu to back down from anything. Sure he's rough around the edges, childish, but it'd be a shame to dismiss him simply because of some quirks. You shoulda seen him before Erza got ahold of him – and that's another thing you have going for Natsu, you get the Mighty Titania as kind of a package deal because they're tied at the hip. You wouldn't need to worry about calling him in constantly for his destructive behavior because I'm sure Erza would be working on him, in addition to your efforts.

Laxus smirked as the Council seemed to grow ever quiet with each reason he gave. It was pretty easy to keep going once he got started; the knucklehead was truly a diamond in the rough.

"If you need more convincing, consider how I've mellowed out. If you made this offer to me two years ago, I would've taken the position in a heartbeat because I was cocky and arrogant; I was convinced that Fairy Tail was getting weaker by the day, but Natsu helped me realize I was wrong. Natsu's the kind of guy that can get along with anyone and everyone as long as you don't threaten our Guild or plot anything evil. Yeah, he's got a problem with respecting authority, but he also knows when to buckle down and follow orders. Him becoming S-Class hasn't swelled his head all that much; he thrives on challenges, and many in our Guild look up to him as well as feel they can associate with him in spite of the obvious gap in rank. I know _I_ would certainly appreciate a Wizard Saint other than Gramps that was like that; too many of you act pompously and all high and mighty."

Obviously a few Councilmen took offense to that last remark, and Makarov face-palmed at it, but a good many of the Council couldn't deny all of the points that Laxus brought up in Natsu's favor. It was a solid recommendation from one S-Class mage to another. However…

"Be that as it may," Crawford Seam spoke up after several moments of the Council recomposing themselves. "There is still the question of who is stronger between the two of you. Mister Dragneel may have all of those qualities that you listed, but to be a Wizard Saint means that you are amongst the strongest in all of Fiore. I believe a demonstration match will settle everything. Makarov, would you mind if we summoned Mister Dragneel here…?"

"Of… Of course, Chairman." The Guild Master gulped nervously, feeling a bit lightheaded. First his grandson got a nomination that would more or less put them on the same level. Then that same grandson passed the buck to one of his more reckless grandchildren (even if Makarov would agree wholeheartedly with every word that Laxus spoke). _'Just what is going through your head, boy…?'_

Very soon, one of his children was going to be a Wizard Saint like him… and Makarov wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

* * *

"So how do you like Fairy Tail so far, Wendy?" Mira asked the bluenette as Teams Crimson Flame and Mira sat together in an act of camaraderie. For though they were fierce rivals, they were still friends at heart.

Wendy Marvell and Carla had joined the ranks of Fairy Tail after Team Crimson Flame's joint mission with Cait Shelter. In a nutshell, the mission was a ruse just for Wendy to meet Natsu, who she heard had lost his dragon parent as well. Wendy believed it to be just an act of kindness from her Guild Master, but as it turned out, the Master wanted to also take it as an opportunity to give Wendy a real Guild to watch out for her. He felt bad for deceiving her for the time that she had been with Cait Shelter, but he knew she would be happier with Fairy Tail after seeing her interact with Natsu, Erza, Simon, and Happy. Carla would be with her, too.

There was also a sensitive history brought up, and the members of Team Crimson Flame promised to keep it secret as well as deal with anyone who threatened to repeat that terrible bit of history.

It'd been a week since that time. Wendy did odd jobs all around Magnolia, but hadn't taken any Quests outside the city as of yet. She was also technically a part of Team Crimson Flame, but they hadn't gone on any Quests because Erza decided she needed a break, so Wendy had been doing the jobs by herself. Instead of moving into Fairy Hills with the other girls, she was taken in by Natsu and Erza, who had taken a shining to her and adopted her as a sister, more or less. A pity for Carla, who had to put up with a smitten blue tomcat.

"It's been great! Everyone's been so nice!" Wendy answered happily. And it was true; her cuteness and adorability had instantly won the Guild's affection. Though Gajeel was muttering about not having a talking cat to call his own…

"Though you could stand to show a little initiative, child! Take even one job outside the city!" Carla lightly chided her.

"I know… I just wanted my first one to be with Natsu, Erza, and Simon." The bluenette said in a somewhat subdued voice. Simon was currently away with Sho, Wally, and Milliana, as he had heard a rumored sighting of his sister in a coastal town and the three of them wanted to be there for their friend regardless of if the rumor panned out or not. Erza would have gone along with Natsu and Wendy in tow, but… she couldn't afford to overexert herself, and Simon understood that, and rather insisted he'd at least bring his sister back to meet everyone at Fairy Tail.

Natsu, whose arm was slung around Erza's shoulders as he sat adjacent to Wendy, grinned at the bluenette.

"It'll be okay, Wendy! Go on 'n take a practice Quest without us! I'm sure the others have been dyin' to get to know ya." Natsu told his fellow Dragon Slayer encouragingly. Erza nodded in agreement and smiled warmly.

"We'll be here when you get back, and I'm sure Simon will have returned by then. We know you'll do great, Wendy."

"O-Okay… Maybe I will in a little bit." Wendy declared bashfully, to which the cat gave a slight groan to her hesitancy. Maybe joining this Guild was a good idea; it'd get the Sky Dragon Slayer to come out of her shell.

"So how's livin' with Natsu and Erza workin' out?" Gray spoke up next. Juvia was seated in-between him and Mira, and she had this sparkly, faraway look in her eyes as she gazed at Wendy. Fantasies of her and Gray's future offspring obviously running rampant in her noggin. "Flamebrain keep you awake at night with his snoring?"

"Hey! That was one time, years ago! I've stopped!" Natsu said with raised fist and a tick mark on his forehead.

"N-Natsu's right," Wendy stuttered out, tapping her pointer fingers together bashfully. "Living with them is… nice. They have a wonderful home!"

The small talk continued on like this for a little longer, but eventually the doors to the Guild opened and a visitor in formal robes strutted in.

"Frog-man alert!" Macao exclaimed, for indeed the creature that walked in was not quite… human. But rather, he was a frog humanoid that was a common messenger of the Magic Council.

"Greetings!" The creature moved over to Team Crimson Flame's table and stopped a couple feet from Natsu himself. "Mister Dragneel. I've come here today as an emissary of the Magic Council."

The pink-headed Dragon Slayer panicked at that pronouncement, suffice to say. Him and the Council got along about as well as him and the Ice Prick on most days… which is to say, they didn't get along _at all_.

"Whatever goin' on, it's a setup! I'm bein' framed!" The Dragon Slayer looked frantically from side to side for potential escape routes. They'd never take him alive!

The humanoid frog creature laughed at Natsu's predictable response. He extended his arms out peacefully.

"I assure you, it's nothing like that, sir! I've merely been sent to retrieve you so that a matter most exigent can be decided by the Magic Council! I am not at liberty to speak about it here, but perhaps on the way…"

Natsu stared at the frog-man with a deadpan expression as he continued to shy away from him.

"Exi-what? You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Natsu whined as Erza swatted him on the back of the head, even though he'd muttered that under his breath.

"He's saying that it's urgent, which means _you can't refuse_." Erza told him in no uncertain terms, which elicited a pout from the Dragon Slayer. Thankfully, the messenger was still more amused than anything else. Turning to the frog-man, she asked curiously, "Is it possible for any of us to come along, or must it be strictly Natsu that goes?"

"Technically, I am supposed to only bring Mister Dragneel… However, Master Makarov and the Council have foreseen your interest in this matter, and have cleared for you to come along as well, Miss Scarlet. But no others."

Erza nodded in understanding and gratitude, and Natsu appeared a little more at ease knowing he wouldn't have to go into… whatever this was by himself. Frog-man said he wasn't in trouble, but that didn't mean it was anything _good_ either… Mira and Gray looked put out that they wouldn't be able to sate their curiosity 'til they got back – Juvia and Happy did, too, for that matter… But Wendy looked especially crestfallen.

"Aw, cheer up, Wendy! I dunno what the Council wants now, but I bet we won't be gone long! Just go on a Quest or two, and I bet we'll be back before ya know it!" Natsu tried cheering her up, mustering his brightest smile. "I promise we'll be a team, no matter what!"

Despite feeling sad about the whole situation, Wendy did take some comfort in Natsu's words. It's not like Natsu could refuse the Magic Council… well, not without getting into actual trouble. So with a nod of acceptance, Wendy did her best to return his smile. She couldn't wait 'til they got back.

"You better bring back fish, Natsu!" Happy called out to the Dragon Slayer as he was leaving. … Though in all honesty, he didn't mind spending some _alone_ time with Carla…

* * *

Frankly, Erza was still in shock by the time they arrived in Era and came before the Magic Council in an arena set aside specifically for Wizard Saint Trials. Natsu was absolutely ecstatic and the very picture of a kid during Christmas morning. He didn't even care that he had to fight to prove he was worthy to be a Wizard Saint like Gramps – hell, he _preferred_ it this way because just being handed the title on a platter woulda been so boring and unfulfilling! Didn't matter if his opponent didn't really want the position anyway… It'd been too long since his last fight with Laxus.

Erza, however… She was conflicted. Of course she was happy that Natsu had this amazing opportunity, even moreso considering that this came at Laxus's recommendation, that Natsu had earned that much respect from the Lightning Dragon Slayer. On the other hand, she was concerned for her fiancé. Wizard Saint weighed _much_ heavier than an S-Class title; throw in his soon-to-be family life, and Natsu might very well snap under all the pressure and responsibilities. There might even be some instances where he would be pulled in two different directions at once. Naturally this worried her, because Natsu would be more inclined to be there more for his family; there was no doubt in her mind that Natsu would lean that way. It was just who Natsu was. He was reckless, passionate, and heroic, but ultimately Natsu Dragneel was someone who _never_ failed his friends, especially those he considered family. It's one reason she wanted to have kids so soon, after all; Natsu would be a wonderful father.

That all being said… he did make it a habit of surprising her. Natsu already demonstrated that he could handle the title of S-Class; Wizard Saint would have him more involved with the Council and the higher echelons of the Magic World, but it wouldn't change much in regards to him being a role model. Instead of just Fairy Tail Wizards, however, he would be an inspiration to Wizards across the continent. That's why on some level, she was genuinely happy for him; really, he had earned this.

The fact he had to conquer Laxus to get the title barely even registered in Erza's mind. She had that much faith in him.

"Looks like we finally get that rematch!" Natsu grinned from ear to ear as he strode up to Laxus in the arena. The blond had discarded his jacket, knowing it would only get trashed in the upcoming battle.

"Hell yes. The Old Man can't do jack to stop us here." The Lightning Dragon Slayer smirked back at the pink-head. Makarov disrupted their previous potential rematches, even when they were held on the outskirts of Magnolia. They were that intense.

Laxus's attempted use of the Thunder Palace (albeit a smaller version of it) might or might not have had something to do with Makarov's disruption of the match outside of Magnolia.

"That boy had better restrain himself… I will not hesitate to make him do **that** as punishment should he get carried away." Makarov huffed from his place in the stands circling the arena. Yajima, who was sitting next to him, chuckled at his old friend's grumpiness.

"Oh, don't worry, Maky. We're pretty used to renovating this place; only Wizard Saints or people of that potential are allowed to fight here, so some collateral damage is expected every now and then. You won't be billed for anything."

Makarov brightened up at this, having obviously forgotten since it'd been such a long time since he'd been there for his own trial. Practically all of his concerns were washed away; if he wasn't gonna have to pay for anything, then he was going to _enjoy_ the mayhem two of his favorite grandchildren would kick up. It was small things like this that made regularly dealing with the Magic Council worth it!

As Yajima sweatdropped at his friend's obvious and vocal glee at the lack of repercussions for this fight, Erza eyed the duo down in the ring with interest. Then Ultear approached her, which changed her to a twitchy, suspicious state. Clearly it slipped Erza's mind that She would be present. That flirty, no-good…

"So I hear you'll be marrying him soon." Ultear started off innocently, garnering a glare from the redhead. She winked provocatively at the knight. "What? No invite for little old me? I wonder if Natsu-kun would like seeing me at his bachelor's party. I have the cutest outfit just perfect for the occasion!"

'Cute' alluding to 'sexy' in this case. And no, that was not an exaggeration on Erza's part. The gorgeous redhead inwardly counted to ten to calm herself down; even if throttling the Councilwoman would be very satisfying, she'd still get possible prison time for it. And if Ultear got her way, it wouldn't be one night only. Who knows what That Woman would do while she was stuck in a dingy cell?

"Actually, those kind of parties are restricted to Guild and Allied Guild members only." The knight curtly replied. "Fairy Tail is unwavering on this rule."

All because of Macao's bachelor party years ago, really. Erza was quite pleased the Master's perverted tendencies were suppressed for once; it alleviated her concerns about the Councilwoman slipping in and seducing Natsu…

"Oh, is that all? Perhaps I'll talk with Makarov about joining." Ultear laughed at Erza's gobsmacked expression. "Then again, if Natsu-kun becomes a Wizard Saint… I won't have to work that hard to interact with him anymore."

Clearly the raven-haired woman was entertained by the looks of anger, affronted, and dawning realization crossing the redhead's face. She must not have considered that at all, which made it all the more amusing. _Maybe_ she'd tone down the teasing after they were married; even Ultear could respect something such as that. Frankly, it wouldn't be long until Grimoire Heart made its move anyway. Just a few more preparations obscured by Oracion Seis, and they would finally track down Zeref.

"In any case, I look forward to working with Natsu-kun in the future!" Ultear smiled brightly and waved to Erza, who was fuming and repeatedly opening and closing her mouth in protest.

Damn, Erza hated this Councilwoman. She always knew what buttons to push…

Before long, Councilman Org announced the beginning of the match after briefly explaining the rules. Beyond threatening the audience and no killing, just about anything went. If either competitor was holding back for reasons beyond those two rules, the match would go to him. This was more for Laxus, since Natsu appeared to _want_ the position and had no intentions of holding back. Though in all honesty, the Lightning Dragon Slayer didn't need that incentive either, because he was finally getting his rematch with Natsu.

Even if he didn't want the position, he was gonna claim this opportunity to fight that yappy Pyro with gusto.

So it was with the crackling of Lightning and Fire that the fight kicked off. Laxus surged forward in his Lightning Body, and Natsu evenly met him head-on with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist attack. The Lightning Dragon Slayer proceeded to dish out a roundhouse kick in their stalemate, which Natsu nimbly leaped over and came crashing down on Laxus with a Flaming Elbow. Laxus skidded back a few feet from the blow, but he quickly punched Natsu in the face and followed it up with more punches until Natsu caught one in mid-strike and nastily headbutted him in the chest, making him stagger back. Using their close proximity, Natsu unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar so Laxus couldn't dodge, but the Lightning Dragon Slayer once again transformed into his Lightning Body and passed through the flames unharmed.

Laxus flew around Natsu in an attempt to confuse him, but Natsu managed to latch onto his wrist on instinct when the blond went into punch him again, and he heftily swung Laxus around until he was slammed onto the ground in front of him. Natsu then brought down his leg while it was coated in Fire, but Laxus blocked it while coating an arm in Lightning.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to get serious sooner rather than later." Laxus smirked at the pink-head, who returned a cocky smirk of his own and leaped back cautiously.

"Heh…! Bring it!"

The blond performed an abrupt roll, and while barely sitting up, he opened his mouth wide and unleashed a devastating electrical blast.

"Lightning Dragon's ROAR!"

Natsu countered the attack by breathing out a steady stream of flames that formed a wall wide and tall enough to shield himself. Or rather, it deflected the attack so that it harmlessly went around Natsu. Of course, with his vision obscured from the front, he had no way of predicting Laxus getting altitude and coming down on him like a meteor. Thanks to his sensitive hearing, though, he was able to counter Laxus at the last second with a Wing Attack that kept the blond airborne. The Pyro grinned when his opponent pulled his fist back and unleashed a Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist, which was just another mid- to long-range attack. He knew not to get caught up in it or he'd be paralyzed enough for Laxus to get some hits in, so Natsu leaped backwards just as the electrical fist came crashing down on his position.

Once he was out of range, Natsu ignited one fist in flames and charged the other in Lightning to prepare for his combination attacks. Was it dangerous to fight Laxus with his own element? Hell yeah, but it's how he beat the jerk last time, and Natsu was gonna aim for a repeat performance.

* * *

… In the end, it wasn't as easy as the last time. At any point when it seemed as if Natsu would unleash one of those powerful combination attacks, Laxus would go into his Lightning Body to taunt him. Natsu already wasted one of those attacks and felt the drain as a result; he quickly learned to _not_ break those out until he had the blond pinned or preoccupied. As a consequence of his fatigue, Laxus got some good hits in on him and turned the tide in his favor quite a bit.

Of course, Natsu wasn't a pushover. Laxus might've had the speed and power to take advantage of his fatigued state, but the Pyro had endurance in spades. He picked himself up again and again, not once succumbing to Laxus's punches, kicks, or Dragon Slayer attacks. Eventually he regained his earlier momentum and got the blond on the defensive or at least to evade his attacks again. In that regard, Laxus was a juggernaut in every sense of the word; his body was a deadly weapon that could shield just as well as it could attack. Fighting the Lightning Dragon Slayer was _a lot_ harder without Erza by his side, but that was one reason it was so much fun.

Their tenacity was commendable, and there seemed like no end in sight for what seemed like hours. It was as if two real dragons were going at it. Injuries did not deter them from giving this match their all. Ironically, Natsu got what he wanted – he used the same attack that he used two years ago to beat Laxus in the S-Class Trials. Except this time it was much more impressive, because Laxus sent one of his strongest attacks in Natsu's direction: Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd. Natsu's options were to dodge that attack – which were slim, as he was backed against the wall at the time – or he could unleash a devastating attack that would overwhelm it.

Obviously he went with the latter, as this was déjà vu from when Jellal attacked him with Altairis. Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade made the Heavenward Halberd lose its form and redirect its energy back at Laxus. The Lightning Dragon Slayer probably would have attempted to dodge, but with the additional energy powering the looming vortex, he underestimated its speed and ferocity. As the vortex overtook him, Laxus couldn't help but smirk as he knew this would be it for him; Natsu had bested him again, and he'd done it all on his own.

 _'Well done.'_

Once the dust settled after Natsu's attack smashed Laxus into the opposite wall from him, Org was forced to declare a winner with Laxus lying on the ground with a pained expression and obviously unconscious. Natsu was still standing and looked the very picture of relief due to his combination attack having connected that time. No stupid last-second Lightning Body save that time.

"The winner is Natsu Dragneel! As promised, he shall be awarded the position of the Ninth Wizard Saint."

Well, that earned boisterous applause from Makarov, and polite pause from the likes of Yajima, Ultear, Belno, and a couple of other Councilmen. Michello particularly looked sour, but knew that he had no say in the matter. The Council made this a contest for the Wizard Saint position, and the brat had won fairly. Didn't mean he had to like it. Crawford had more a thoughtful frown on his face, but he too wasn't going to make a fuss. Wizard Saints still had to answer to the Magic Council, if not moreso than most Wizards.

Erza had leaped down into the arena and happily swept Natsu up in a hug, which he gladly returned, albeit with some grumbling to be careful of his injuries. The Pyro was quite content to bask in the moment, despite some part of him wanting to hurry back to the Guild and rub it in Gray's face. He'd been granted a position that not even Gildarts attained (though in fairness, if he stuck around more…), and he'd actually triumphed over Laxus to get it.

"I couldn't have done it without ya…" Natsu mumbled into the crook of her neck and held her tight.

And in that moment, Erza dispelled all of her worries and concerns. Yes, Natsu would have a lot more to do; yes, he would have some more interaction with That Woman; and yes, Erza had her work cut out for her in getting Natsu to take on his Wizard Saint responsibilities. However, they would work through it all together. Master juggled being a Wizard Saint along with being a Guild Master, for crying out loud! Natsu wasn't alone; Erza wasn't going to let the position overwhelm him. Natsu had really earned this, and she couldn't be happier for him.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Yeah. Sooo I couldn't get the 'Wendy Encounter' part of this main timeline to come out. It felt like a chore, and I don't write well when that happens. =_= So for now I'm putting it on the backburner until something hits me for it. For now, we're moving forward with the wedding for the next chapter of this main AU; I'm kind of itching to write it out, it's just… I'm a newb to wedding scenes. I've only been to a handful of weddings in my lifetime, and none within the last five years, to my memory.**

 **Now, some notes for stuff that happened this chapter… Yes, Wendy's a member of FT slightly earlier than canon. She 'n Carla are living with Natsu and Erza. I actually have a pretty good idea of how to change up her first mission outside of Magnolia, so prepare for a reference to it in the future – your only hint will be that I didn't partner her up with Freed or anyone from Team Mira; rather, her partner approached her instead of her being paired off randomly with a Guild member. That should be enough for you guys to work with. :P**

 **Simon's off looking for lovely sister dear! I feel kind of bummed about how this will affect Mermaid Heel, but you guys have kind of spurred me on to make interesting changes instead of tracing canon's timeline faithfully. Y'know how I said there'd be six members of Team Crimson Flame after the Grimoire Heart/Tenrou Island Arc? Well… there might be seven members now (not counting Exceeds). Quite the powerhouse of a team, but hey; if Simey's involved, it follows logically that sissy-dear would get dragged into it, too. 'Cause she has no reason to go Sasuke on us with Simon alive and Jellal, well… imprisoned-for-now. Object to Kagura's involvement all ya want, but I'm actually interested enough in her character to try and write for her. To me she's more interesting than Lucy, so it won't be forced-inclusion on my part when she does join the team.**

 **If anyone's concerned about Mermaid Heel drastically losing firepower, I might have a method of reversing that at a later point, to at least make it as strong as canon. But for now… Well, Milly's already a part of FT, and it seems so boring to lump her in MH just 'cause that's the Guild she joined in canon. Kagura has reason enough to join her brother, especially with Erza's presence, since she saved Kagura from being taken to the Tower of Heaven; so for now I'm having her brought to FT. ^^**

 **Lastly… Yes, I made Natsu a Wizard Saint. Don't think that I'll make it easy for him just 'cause he attained the rank; Natsu is Natsu, the Council's gonna be all over him for retaining much of his personality and destructive tendencies. He's** _ **not**_ **gonna be instantly mature and professional. Natsu is a free spirit, and he will** _ **stay**_ **that way. lol I have plans for him 'n Erza; whereas Makarov is both Saint and Master, the roles will be split between Natsu and Erza down the line. I know I've hinted at Makarov grooming Laxus for the role, but he's not gonna be ready to fulfill the Guild Master role anytime soon; when the time comes, Erza will be a little more appropriate for that position, and it's not Makarov who decides on it – hopefully that's enough to guess what point in the storyline I'm talkin' about. :P**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Point-in-Time: October X784**

* * *

Another Fantasia Parade had come and gone. Though this one was quite different with all the new members that joined within the last few months – Lucy, Juvia, Gajeel, Simon, Sho, Wally, Milliana, and the latest addition, Kagura Mikazuchi. Kagura was such a sweet girl that dearly loved her brother, Simon, who she'd been searching for practically a decade now. Ah, but she was a beauty; and as everyone at Fairy Tail knew, gorgeous female Wizards had the tendency to be intimidatingly strong and powerful. Kagura would prove to be no exception.

No, really. Kagura was proficient with a blade, and she wasn't afraid to use it. Perverts beware.

In all seriousness, though, the Fantasia Parade was all the more spectacular with so many new faces and Magic. Even Laxus and the Thunder Legion took part; they hadn't done so for a few years. The only people missing were Mystogan and Gildarts.

Though the infamous Crash Mage would be there in a week's time for Natsu and Erza's wedding. There was no way he was gonna miss that after all the juicy letters he received from Makarov about the two's relationship. The Old Man said the two had done… _it_ for the first time, and the redhead was with child. Gildarts had never been… so… proud… of his pseudo-son. He really shoulda adopted the boy all things considered, but the Guild was taking good care of him, especially that fiery redhead, so the Crash Mage just kept doin' what he was doin'. Didn't want that deadbeat dad image, y'know? … Although, he kinda had that going on with Cana… Yeah. That was a shocker for him. Two years ago at the S-Class Trials, she actually opened up to him when she found his chamber in that labyrinth.

Still, Natsu popped his cherry, and that was something to be proud of! … And the fact that he achieved Wizard Saint status a short time ago. That too. Is it sad that Gildarts was prouder of the former? 'Cause he really was.

Pervy old men aside, the transition from preparing for the Fantasia Parade to preparing for the wedding went pretty smoothly. Mostly because up until that point, it'd been a dual preparation; all that was left was the actual decorating and any last-minute mental preparation for all involved. For some, this mental preparation lasted up until the morning in question… if only because of nerves and jitters and all that good stuff that engaged couples go through.

* * *

"I still call bull crap!" Gray pointed accusingly at the trinket Natsu was tauntingly waving in front of him. Again.

The Wizard Saint medallion. Every Saint had one to prove they'd attained the rank and were still approved by the Council. Natsu had it on his person at all times, even when it was just in his pocket. Everyone had been quite shocked when Natsu, Erza, Laxus, and Makarov returned and formally announced it; Mira and Gray were among the most jealous, and had kind of set a goal for one of them to make the cut as well, someday… Because Natsu attaining that rank was like Team Crimson Flame getting a leg up on Team Mira, and that could not be condoned…

Even if they had to grudgingly concede that… Oh, who are we kidding. Happy for the Dragon Slayer or not, Team Mira was still very much _jealous_ of Natsu's achievement. Just couldn't be helped.

"I beat Laxus fair and square – I earned it, man!" Natsu grinned ear to ear and pocketed the medallion again. He'd made a habit of showing it off to Gray practically every day ever since receiving it. Much classier than starting a Guild brawl through insult alone; it got Gray a lot more worked up, too.

"Whatever." Gray grumbled, knowing full well he could not tear the Dragon Slayer limb from limb at the moment because Natsu was in the tux that Mira had hand-picked for him… and should _anything_ befall that pricey suit, it would be on Gray's head. Because none of the other guys were as itchy to start a fight with the Fire Dragon Slayer on most occasions; not even Gajeel.

Not to mention what Erza would do to him for laying a finger on her betrothed this day… Of course Gray wasn't going to rise to the bait with that kind of punishment waiting for him. No matter how much Natsu egged him on.

"So'd Erza spend the night at Fairy Hills one last time?" The Ice Make mage couldn't help but be curious. His interest piqued when Natsu nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hehe… Yeah, that's what happened. Yup."

Gray's expression became deadpan at Natsu's attitude. He didn't buy that for a second. Natsu eventually caved and told the truth.

* * *

"So what was Mira talking about earlier?" Natsu asked the redhead as they returned home for the night and started getting ready for bed early. "Something about you needing to stay elsewhere for the night or it'll bring bad luck…?"

Erza shrugged uncaringly and Requipped out of her towel and into her pajamas.

"The superstition actually relates to the groom seeing the bride in her dress before the ceremony. I think Mira wanted to make it easier for me as well, seeing as how I will be getting dressed there tomorrow." The redhead's frown vanished as her face brightened and she smothered Natsu in a hug. "But I don't care about convenience or cowardly superstitions! I will not forego a night with you! Never, ever, _ever_!"

Natsu couldn't help but chuckle even when he swore some of his ribs were cracking from the great affectionate bear hug she was giving him. He had to admit it'd be a shame to go a night without Erza, too. They were married in all but name, and that'd change soon enough.

* * *

Gray sweatdropped as Natsu reminisced about the previous night. Leave it to Erza to ignore a wedding tradition because she can't sleep without her Pyromaniac of a teddy bear… Well, to be fair, she did follow tradition enough to not get dressed in front of Natsu that morning. It was just slightly abnormal for the wedding couple to sleep together on the night before… but then again, very little about the leaders of Team Crimson Flame could be considered 'normal'…

The Ice Make mage dutifully ignored the nagging voice in the back of his head that yelled 'hypocrite!' 'Cause he was as normal as they come. Yup.

The two friends/rivals settled into a vaguely uncomfortable silence as they lounged there in the room of the new Guild Hall set aside for these occasions. For the groom and his male friends, anyway; all the girls were gathered at Fairy Hills, and they all wouldn't meet up until Kardia Cathedral. The reception would be held at the Guild Hall, of course – everything was just set up in advance in those early morning hours. And as for the ceremony, it would take place close-ish to noon, and from there the rest of the day would be just one big celebration…

"Gray, is it normal to be having second thoughts right now?" The pink-head eventually posed awkwardly, clearly having a lot on his mind.

The Ice Make mage twitched as Natsu pulled at his 'monkey suit' agitatedly. He knew Natsu didn't like to wear formal clothes, but really? Still, Gray knew it wasn't the duds that was bothering Natsu.

"Cut the crap, idiot. It's the bride who's supposed to be freaking out like that. Are you seriously telling me you literally just stopped loving Erza? 'Cause I might have to reevaluate who you are if that's the case."

Natsu scratched his cheek meekly at that.

"I guess you have a point… It's just… It's overwhelming, ya know? I mean, Erza's gonna be takin' my last name. It kinda feels like I'm takin' somethin' away from her by doin' so, but it also feels… I dunno how to describe it. She won't be my girlfriend after today; she'll be my _wife_. We'll both be completely off the market."

"Not that you weren't already… Both of you." Gray grumbled and shook his head. "Erza pretty much scared off any of the competition, and even some of the non-competition, and you… Heck, you didn't even have to do anything. Either the guys realized her heart was taken, or she put the really stupid ones in body casts. I do not pity Ichiya in the least."

Natsu's face settled into a deadpan expression.

"Please don't remind me. He sent some of his 'parfum' as an early wedding present, and Erza just about destroyed it on the spot only to realize that if she did that, the scent would wash all over us. I think she sent it to Mira under the pretense of some secret admirer."

"And she forced it onto me, you nitwit! I friggin' pawned that crap off on Elfman once I realized what it was!" Gray glared heatedly at the Fire Dragon Slayer, who looked most unapologetic.

"Poor guy probably didn't know what hit him." Natsu mused with arms behind his head as he tried to picture it. Elfman hadn't come into contact with Ichiya like they S-Class Wizards had, so he had to be totally clueless about that man's… 'fragrant parfums'.

Gray twitched violently at the pure lack of remorse on Natsu's part. Erza was likely the same way. Before the Ice Make mage could say anything else, the doors to the room opened, and some more of the guys walked in, dressed in tuxedos of their own.

"Gotta say, you're lookin' pretty dandy, Salamander." Wally smirked as he tipped his hat at Natsu. The pink-headed Dragon Slayer shot him a cheesy grin.

"Thanks, blockhead! You don't look so bad yourself." Natsu grinned and also offered greetings to Sho, Simon, Elfman, and Freed. Loke, Gray, and Simon would be the Groomsmen; Elfman was close to making the cut, but, well… Natsu would've felt worse if Simon didn't have a prominent role, seeing as how the man cared deeply for Erza.

And as loathe as he was to do it, Natsu allowed Gray to be a Groomsman. If only because it felt weird otherwise; as much of a rival as he was, Gray was still a close friend. … But you didn't hear that from Natsu. Nope.

Loke was still the best man, so he got the esteemed honor of bossing Gray around as well as make sure he stayed clothed.

"Natsu's a real man! He's the first of our generation to marry a woman! And what a woman, am I right?!" Elfman looked around all the gathered men, who sweatdropped but nonetheless agreed with the Takeover mage's sentiment.

"Yes… But I fear this will be a call to arms, of sorts. Natsu's proposal has aroused the romantic side of the fairer half of our Guild, and they are getting… antsy…" Freed remarked with some concern. Elfman clapped him on the back heartily and laughed. Mira was indeed getting anxious and demanding of the green-haired young man. Natsu's proposal, while thoughtful and very special, had the side effect of boyfriends in the Guild feeling pretty inadequate. Freed just had it the worst because he was dating Mira.

Yet even Gray was shivering as Freed brought this up. Juvia had been taking her romantic fantasies to a whole new level by plotting out 'their' supposed future. They weren't even dating yet and she already had all this crap planned out. It was driving the Ice Make mage nuts!

"Are you mentally prepared, Natsu?" Simon asked with a smile, kindly diverting the topic to something else.

"I guess. A little annoyed Loke hasn't popped up yet." Natsu grumbled. He'd given the Celestial Spirit the rings, so he'd better not get cold feet at the last second…

"You know that Loke can't be here for extended periods of time anymore," Gray reminded the pink-head. "I'm sure he's waiting until the last moment just so he can be there for the reception."

Natsu hummed noncommittally before turning back to Simon.

"So's Kagura gonna be one of those bridesmaids? She 'n Erza hit it off pretty good."

Simon laughed softly and shook his head.

"Mira, Bisca, and Milliana are still going to be the bridesmaids. Though you can be sure she'll be among the first to respond if Loke steps out of line… if Mira doesn't get to him first, that is."

Natsu nodded in understanding, but Gray paled as they brought up the younger Mikazuchi. First time he encountered the girl after getting back from an S-Class Quest, she demonstrated just how terrifying she could be when she perceived him to be some sort of exhibitionist because of his stripping habit… Gray had no idea you could swing a sword around without taking it out of its sheath; but now he knew.

He'd never been so thankful to see Erza that day when she hurriedly explained that it was just an unconscious habit of Gray's, and he didn't mean anything by it. Kindly saint that she was; no wonder Flamebrain was marrying her. Gray knew in that moment that Kagura would fit right in alongside Erza and Mira for 'scariest women of Fairy Tail'. All she needed… no, that's not quite right. She didn't even need an S-Class title to prove anything. Do not cross Kagura. Period.

Small talk went on like this for some time, until eventually one of the windows cracked open and Loke crept in, looking quite winded and a little disheveled. Nothing he couldn't fix before arriving at the chapel.

"Ready to go, Natsu? It's about that time."

"Sure, but, uh… What happened to you?" Natsu asked with raised brow. He felt a bit uneasy when Loke nervously laughed.

"Never you mind. Occupational hazard if you must know."

As the orange-haired Celestial Spirit herded the guys toward the doors, Gray turned to him twitchily.

"Loke… I wanna know what you did and if it will affect us! Not all of us can pop back to the Celestial World and conveniently avoid female wrath!"

"Hehe."

Loke did not answer as he hastened his efforts to shove the guys through the doors. Meat shields, all of them. They didn't have anything to fear; the worst that would happen would be the girls trying to go around them to get to him. Hell, Natsu was untouchable because of Erza.

It wasn't _his_ fault Lucy had neglected to leave his Gate Key outside the girls' dorm. She had to know he wouldn't be coming to the human plane until it was about time for the ceremony. One thing led to another, and, well… Ah, but what a marvelous jaunt it was, being chased by a horde of women in various stages of undress; it really took him back to all the girlfriends that would chase him for a date. About the only one he didn't care for was Mira, who had gone Satan Soul on him and was flying after him rather lividly.

But even that had been hot, to an extent. Ah, the struggles of being _the_ womanizer of Fairy Tail; it was exhausting, to be sure.

* * *

Kardia Cathedral was packed for what seemed like the first time in years. For one, practically every single member of Fairy Tail was present; even Mystogan was cautiously off in some far corner. Mystogan, who so rarely appeared at these Guild social events. Apparently, Wendy knew him, and had even gone on her first Quest outside of Magnolia with him when Natsu was called away by the Council. He was still rather antisocial, refusing to show his face to just anyone, but he was cordial to his fellow bluenette and agreed to occasionally go on Quests with her.

In confidentiality, he cleared up any confusion that would have arisen between him and his incarcerated 'twin'. Wendy promised to not breathe a word, even to Carla.

There were more than Fairy Tail Guild members in attendance, however. Some of the Magic Council, like Yajima, Ultear, and Org, had come to personally congratulate the couple. Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus had come as well – highlights being Masters Bob and Goldmine, Ichiya and the Trimens, Jenny, and Bacchus. Even Jason from Sorcerer Weekly was among the motley crowd… much to the annoyance of a number of people. Nice guy, but he had this habit of overusing the word 'cool'…

You'd think Erza would prefer the ceremony to be narrowed down to closest friends and family, but she was in agreement with Natsu that it would be somewhat rude to keep anyone out… even Ichiya (shiver) or Ultear (death glare). They'd made quite a number of friends over the years; it was only right to allow them to share in their joy.

Eventually, the crowd settled down when the doors to the chapel opened and Erza walked in with Makarov alongside her. It was an elegant wedding dress that left her shoulders and upper back bare; there was nary a proud straight man in the crowd that _didn't_ ogle her on some level, though the redhead was fairly used to such antics. No, what made the scarlet knight lightly blush was seeing Natsu up there in his tux along with the Groomsmen, Bridesmaids, and preacher. The pink-head was grinning at her and clearly liking what he saw, for which Erza was glad.

Once Erza made it to the front of the chapel, the service truly began, and Erza just couldn't tear her eyes from Natsu's. Due to circumstances making them both orphans, Makarov spoke up as a 'father' for Erza, while Gildarts did so for Natsu. Before long, they reached the vows, and Erza's heart raced just a little bit more.

"Natsu Dragneel. Will you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Natsu replied simply, with a smile on his face. In all honesty, he'd wanted to give his answer with a little more passion, like, 'heck yeah', but Erza kinda beat it into his head that this was one of those important moments where he needed to be formal and follow tradition.

Needless to say, she was very pleased that he had listened when the time came.

"And Erza Scarlet, will you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Erza answered wholeheartedly, intensely struggling to keep the tears at bay. She would not cry before so many people… she would _not_ …

Okay, so maybe a number of people in the room were having a similar problem. Damn dust, pollen, or whatever… they were _not_ crying…

On cue, Loke produced the rings, and Natsu placed the ring on her finger, while she did the same in kind with him. All Wizard couples tended to have different solutions to protecting these rings; Erza's was to use Requip, and pass it onto Natsu so he could just as easily protect his. It was better than allowing damage to come to them when conflicts inevitably arose; they weren't going to go back on their vows by temporarily removing them, and both Natsu and Erza understood this.

Soon, they reached the pronouncement, and anticipation for the couple was at its highest.

"Natsu and Erza, you have heard the words about love and marriage, have exchanged your vows and made your promises, and celebrated your union with the giving and receiving of rings. It is at this time that I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

Oh, and Natsu did so. The Fire Dragon Slayer had been itching to hold and caress her all morning, as she had slipped out of their home before he had gotten up. … Not that the redhead was complaining – that's precisely why she did what she did. Natsu was more fun to kiss when he was worked up… And maybe she was a little needy as well.

They'd both been waiting for this union. Natsu was afraid that he was 'taking' something from the scarlet knight, but in point of fact, she felt the opposite. She was receiving the last name of the most important man in her life, and she happily accepted it. This action alone symbolized her decision to move on from her painful past to a happier future now that the past had been resolved.

And as the chapel erupted into thunderous applause, Natsu and Erza silently parted from the passionate kiss and gazed longingly into each other's eyes. The day was far from over, but right now both felt as if this was the all-time high of the day. And true to form, Natsu scooped Erza up by the back of her legs and carried her through the threshold. The scarlet knight certainly didn't resist, as she nuzzled close to him and allowed him to take her to the Guild. The beating of her Dragon Slayer's heart was so relaxing.

* * *

Now that the ceremony was over, Fairy Tail celebrated the reception in typical fashion – that is, they threw a raving wild party. The only main difference so far was that no one had initiated any brawls; and that might or might not have had to do with Erza cowing everyone into behaving this one time. Natsu for one wasn't about to leave Erza's side unless he absolutely had to, so he didn't need any convincing.

The newlyweds posed for some paintings done up by Reedus; at first it was a traditional one with the pair standing side by side, but then Erza got it into her head that she wanted different poses to choose from when picking the main wedding photo to hang up in their home. Her favorite was Natsu holding her bridal style; admittedly, that was Natsu's favorite as well, though the French Kiss one wasn't half bad lookin' either. Once that was out of the way, they dug into the huge strawberry wedding cake and chatted with friends.

… What? Did you expect it to be anything else? Max was even nice enough to do up little figurines of the newlyweds on top of the cake. They were poseable and everything.

"I can't believe you guys are married now! I mean, I felt at home before, but now it just seems official!" Wendy told the couple with a bright grin on her face. As she was a bit too old to be their daughter, Natsu claimed her as a little sister since she was a Dragon Slayer like him, and now Erza was her sister-in-law.

Although it was a bit weird considering that Wendy was going to be an aunt within the next year, with Erza already pregnant. Natsu told Wendy if it made her uncomfortable thinking about it like that, she could call the baby her little sibling, despite the technical relation. Erza warmed up to the idea, too, so the situation with Wendy was just a little bit extra complicated. Supposedly she was their sister, but by calling the coming baby her sibling, she was calling herself their first daughter.

… Ah, Natsu. Always making things harder than they needed to be. Though it could be said that Gajeel and Laxus were in a similar boat, since Natsu wanted all the Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail to be 'related'. But unlike Wendy, they would be uncles no matter what.

"Thanks, Wendy!" Natsu grinned widely, arm draped around Erza's shoulders as the redhead enjoyed some strawberry cake. "We still got a lot of work to do on the house, expandin' it and a whole bunch of other stuff, but it's awesome to have the wedding jitters outta the way, y'know? Erza's mine, and I'm hers. No way we're backin' out of this now."

Erza nodded firmly in agreement before pecking him on the cheek. Kami, she loved him. In some ways, this still felt like a wonderful dream; but Erza was married to Natsu, and she was never letting him go. Ever.

"You'd better take care of her, Natsu." Kagura warned the pink-head somewhat sternly. "I might be grateful you took down that bastard Jellal, but Erza is like my long-lost sister. I will not forgive you if you hurt her."

Natsu held up his hands peaceably and laughed sheepishly.

"Message received!"

Simon smiled kindly at his sister's antics. She might seem stern and commanding now, but she was still the softy that he remembered; Kagura was simply protective of those she cared about. Right now that was him and, to an extent, Erza. In time, he hoped she would warm up to Natsu, as she was doing to Wendy.

… Wendy's adorability strikes again.

"Natsu, you sly dog!" Gildarts snuck up behind the pink-head and noogied him. 'Course he whined about it, but that didn't get the Crash mage to ease up. "Wizard Saint, marriage, _sex_ , you're a man through and through!"

Kagura's ears twitched at that, but not for a bad reason. Sex meant children, which meant little Erza's, which meant she could dote on them and smother them in love… Of course the young Mikazuchi kept a stoic, calm look on her face as these thoughts ran through her mind like a train at full speed, but it wasn't that hard for her brother to tell that she was thinking along those lines. Oh dear. Natsu and Erza's kid would be in for quite a time with Aunt Kagura…

"Ohhh, just wait until I get through teaching you advanced techniques!" The Crash mage continued dreamily, ignorant of the fists of pain to come. "I guarantee you'll have women barging down your door…"

… And bam, Gildarts lost his talking privileges. Kagura and Erza had simultaneously struck him in the face, sending him all the way over to the bar (but thankfully without wrecking it. Most of the Guild had watched this in somewhat astonished horror, as it appeared that Kagura and Erza had punched Gildarts with about the same amount of force…

Yep. Kagura was to be feared. Makarov bawled a little at the thought of Team Crimson Flame gaining such a destructive beauty… The complaints from the Council would increase for sure.

"Hmm. Tincan's team now has five members… We only have three." Mira muttered with a pout as she oh-so-casually held Loke in place by the back of his suit. She had only recently snared the little pervert, and she wasn't gonna let him go until he got some divine punishment for his shenanigans at Fairy Hills that morning.

… And then Mira got a mischievous glint in her eye, which her manly older brother shied away from. Gray was too busy keeping the third member of Team Mira at arms' length; this wedding did nothing to dampen her romantic fantasies. Of course it didn't, but he really wasn't expecting her to become even more clingy than before.

Gray you poor sod.

"I warned ya, Maky, you should consider retiring." Yajima told his old friend with some amusement as they sat at the bar counter together. Org had since departed, as had Ultear… but not before the Councilwoman personally congratulated the newlyweds and gotten one last light teasing in.

"And I just can't yet…" Makarov bawled. Just thinking about what his chosen successor would do with the reins at this point made him turn green. Mystogan and Gildarts were practically never here; Laxus still needed grooming for the role; Natsu or Gray, Kami forbid; Mira would just use the position as leverage over her rival; and Erza…

Do we really need to hypothesize how a pregnant Master would run the Guild? A pregnant _Erza_ for that matter. Makarov wasn't comfortable thinking about it at all.

It didn't take too long for the reception to devolve into a full-blown Fairy Tail bash… Having the likes of Ichiya, the Trimens, and Bacchus among the usual rowdy bunch spelled a devastating recipe for disaster. Unfortunately for everyone, Erza could Requip out of her dress and did not fear getting her hands dirty to put down the brawl. Natsu… Well, Natsu was a free spirit. He just took off his coat and jumped right in without a care in the world.

There was much more to come, but they'd face the future together as Natsu and Erza Dragneel.

* * *

 **Author's Note: There's so much more I wanna pack into this, but it's late on my end, and I wanna get this out for you guys. I'll probably revisit this wedding day and show off the likes of Bacchus and Ichiya… and Gajeel… And I can't wait to write Kagura more. :D**

 **Don't think Elfman just forgave Gray for his little stunt… 'cause that wasn't manly. Maaan. XD**

 **About the only reason I didn't write the equivalent girls' scene at Fairy Hills is because I wasn't quite comfortable writing an all-girls scene just yet, being a guy myself. I've seen scenes in movies and stuff for pre-wedding talks, but it's been a while, and I can't guarantee it would come out well just yet. Might be something to revisit later. Like I said, there's a lot I wanted to get to but couldn't.**

 **Next bit for this main AU… Oracion Seis. The current plan is for Fairy Tail to send along six members to battle alongside Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale. Five of 'em I'm sure you can guess with relative ease (not counting Exceeds); the sixth is just to finally get around to writing him. I feel bad for neglecting him… amongst others. Curse you Mashima for creating so many loveable characters. XD Hope you enjoyed!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

"What's all this?" Lucy asked as everyone currently in the Guild Hall stood in front of a massive diagram flow chart magically drawn in the air.

"It's a chart, listing all the Dark Guilds." Mira explained.

"Oui, she had me draw it up for her." Reedus affirmed.

Erza stared at it with some concern.

"A troubling sight. There are far more than I realized."

"What brought this on?" Kagura asked with a raised brow.

"Unfortunately, they've been notably more active as of late." Mira answered her. "That means we need to strengthen relationships with our fellow Guilds."

"What's the big circle in the middle supposed to be?" Gray queried.

"I know exactly what it is," Juvia answered her beloved. "It's the Balam Alliance of Dark Guilds. "The three major players in that Alliance are Oracion Seis, Tartaros, and Grimoire Heart. All powerful in their own right, but combined, they're the strongest force in the shadowy Guild Underworld. Each controls lesser Guilds that carry out the dirty work that they don't wish to do themselves. However, there is one Guild on this chart that remains independent – Raven Tail."

"Oh man…" Lucy groaned. "I recognize the name Eisenwald."

"I'm sure." Erza mused. "That's the Guild Erigor belonged to."

"So Eisenwald was just a kind of sub-Guild that worked under this Oracion Seis?" Gray muttered rhetorically.

"I've seen a lot of these names before," Wakaba said.

"I think some of 'em even used to be legit!" Macao agreed.

Mira nodded.

"There was one more – Ghoul Spear – that the Thunder Legion took down.

"Most of the Guilds Gajeel and I destroyed when we were members of Phantom Lord were under Oracion Seis!" Juvia energetically proclaimed. "Except for Fairy Tail, but we're all great friends now, right?!"

"I wouldn't remind them of that, if I were you…" Gray deadpanned.

"Creepy… Hey, guys, do you think they'll take it out on us…?" Lucy asked fearfully as she shivered.

"Oh, relax! Don't worry your pretty little head about them! From what I hear, they've only got six members in their Guild anyway!" Wakaba assured her somewhat lazily.

"Yeah, they sound like small potatoes if you ask me…" Macao remarked.

"Don't underestimate them!" Mira lightly chided them. "Those six Wizards make up one of the most powerful Guilds out there!"

Suddenly, Makarov walked into the Guild with Natsu trailing behind him.

"Speaking of the Oracion Seis… Word has come down, we must destroy them!"

Needless to say, this was an unexpected turn of events. Almost everyone vocalized their surprise… except for Mira, who remained chipper in spite of this announcement.

"Welcome back, Master! I hope you had a good time at the Conference!"

While most grumbled about Mira's quirkiness, Erza took note that Natsu particularly looked troubled. He hadn't gone to the Guild Masters' Conference with Makarov; and yet, she hadn't seen him all morning, which was quite unusual. Stowing that mystery away for the time being, she turned back to Makarov.

"But Master, what do you mean by that?"

"Oracion Seis's activity was the focus of much discussion at the Conference. They pose an urgent threat that can no longer be ignored." The elderly man declared this quite solemnly. "Therefore, they must be dealt with immediately! We must take them down before they harm any of our fellow Guilds that we are sworn to protect."

"So we gotta do all the heavy lifting, right? Typical." Gray snorted.

"We will be taking them on by ourselves…?" Juvia murmured.

"This enemy is far more powerful than any we have faced before." Makarov declared grimly. "To fight them alone would be too dangerous. Our attack would surely incur the wrath of the entire Balam Alliance in no time! Which is why Fairy Tail will be joining a coalition of Magical Guilds!"

"A coalition?!"

"Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale. These three Guilds will select members to represent them in the Allied Force! Together, we will work to bring down the enemy!"

"Che! We shouldn't have to rely on anyone… I bet I could take those punks on my own." Gajeel declared rather moodily, before he yelped at Titania twisting his arm chidingly.

"Don't be a fool! The Master is wise to consider the long-term consequences!"

Gajeel grumbled at the redhead's reprimand. Why the hell did they have to be so timid if they were basically the strongest legit Guild in Fiore? They had four Dragon Slayers in their ranks, two Wizard Saints, and eight S-Class Wizards, if you counted the Master. Not to mention all the runner-ups for S-Class, like him and Juvia. The Balam Alliance wouldn't be a walk in the park, but Gajeel bet they could take 'em… Don't diss that Fairy Law attack.

"Whoa! Just hold on a second, you guys! We're only talking about six people, aren't we?! I mean, are they seriously all that scary?!" Lucy yelped.

… Uuugh blondie really pissed him off. Gajeel might've worked with Team Shadow Gear the most, but that didn't mean he liked working with the Celestial Wizard. He tolerated her on his best days.

"Now, now, you will not have to worry about them, Lucy," Makarov assured the blonde. "I have since deliberated over the matter with Natsu, and we have agreed on our six representatives. They are very capable individuals that will doubtlessly make this coalition a resounding success.

The Guild Master briefly craned his head back to look at Natsu, who was still very much lost in thought. Makarov knew exactly what was on the Dragon Slayer's mind, and he would leave it to Natsu to explain things to the team he was leading.

"Natsu and Erza Dragneel." Makarov started to list off the representatives. "Wendy Marvel. Simon and Kagura Mikazuchi. Gajeel Redfox. You are all powerful in your own right, and I am confident that with your combined skills you will bring down the Oracion Seis!"

Gajeel cracked a smirk at this announcement. Didn't matter if he was trading a blonde crybaby for an insufferable Pyro; Team Crimson Flame was a heavily specialized team of fighters. And to top it off, this was the kind of assignment that he had been pining for ever since joining Fairy Tail. None of the regular Quests had been particularly exhilarating, and that's all Team Shadow Gear had been taking, since there was no S-Class Wizard among them. Gajeel was definitely seizing this opportunity and cutting loose; the fact that his most recent battles (not spars) resulted in defeats at the hands of Laxus and Mira left a bitter taste in his mouth. He needed to regain his edge, and it was quite interesting that this opportunity had him up against the one Guild that supervised the Dark Guilds he took down in the past… Made him curious just how powerful their joke of a 'Guild' really was.

Wendy, meanwhile, was quite nervous at being chosen for this crucial mission. Of course she doubted she would be able to offer up much combat help, yet that didn't mean she wanted to turn the Master down… Her Healing Magic could prove indispensable out there, and Wendy wouldn't forgive herself if something befell Natsu or Erza… Carla was quite proud she was willing to accept the mission, all things considered.

Neither Simon nor Kagura were against their nominations. Simon had adjusted to his role as the team's telepath, and Dark Moment usually proved to be an effective tool for narrow escapes when they needed it. Kagura was more concerned about Erza and the unborn child; it seemed like too much of a risk to involve the scarlet knight, but she would place her trust in Makarov… for now. But if this was just Natsu's idea of helping Erza feel 'useful'… Kagura would be having words with the Dragon Slayer.

Like the Master, Erza had faith in her team, and even Gajeel, who was slowly earning her trust. What bothered the redhead was that Natsu had been too quiet; she half-expected him to speak up before the Iron Dragon Slayer, spouting how he could handle the Oracion Seis all on his own, but he didn't say a word. Even now his face was blank, and it was easy for her to tell that his thoughts were anywhere but there.

"Natsu…" Erza murmured. Gray was the next to speak up, frankly irritated at not being picked for this assignment.

"What the heck, Gramps?! I thought for this kind of thing, you'd pick the best mages instead of one team and an add-on."

Makarov shook his head slowly.

"There is no doubt that your two teams are perhaps the strongest Fairy Tail has to offer, Gray, but there is more to do than pursue the Oracion Seis. Team Mira has been chosen for another assignment, and I am afraid this is not up for debate." Clasping his hands behind his back, the Guild Master turned to the side as he looked back at Natsu. "Now… Seeing as how a visiting Council member briefed Natsu personally on the situation, I believe he wanted to be the one to explain why Oracion Seis has become so problematic for the Magic Council, as well as all of our Guilds."

Everyone's expectant eyes turned to Natsu, who finally seemed to be shaken out of his stupor. The Fire Dragon Slayer clenched his fists slightly as his eyes seemed to suddenly find the floor much more fascinating.

"… Oracion Seis attacked the Council's high security prison…" Natsu steeled himself, as he had yet to reveal the most important bit of news. "Jellal Fernandes is now dead."

The Guild Hall became so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

* * *

"I can't believe all of that preparation was for nothing…" A maroon-haired young man grumbled as he idly petted a snake that was wrapped around him. He glared at a white-haired man that carried around a staff with a skull on it – his leader, Brain. "So what now? Grimoire Heart kinda stabbed us in the foot to save its own ass; how're we supposed to find and break Nirvana's seal without Jellal?"

Brain breathed a sigh at Cobra's query. It was true, Ultear's cover-up for Grimoire Heart had resulted in a setback. He couldn't bring himself to feel angry toward the devious woman, however. It was his fault for giving Hades such a powerful asset. Oh, he was aggravated that the search would be prolonged, but they did not need Jellal to break the seal itself. They at least had a general location of their prize – somewhere in the Worth Woodsea. They would simply have to comb it thoroughly, utilizing all of their sub-Guilds to cover more ground.

"We will find it, Cobra, I assure you of that. Jellal had merely been our most convenient tool for finding it…"

A spiky blond-haired man with sunglasses scoffed at Brain's assertion.

"Yeah, but now the Council's gonna come down harder on us. We kinda killed everyone in that friggin' hellhole, y'know."

"Oh, please. Reaching Nirvana was never going to be _easy_ ," A silver-haired woman admonished him. "We'll simply kill the cannon fodder those fools send after us."

"While you are quite correct, Angel… It would be unwise to underestimate them. The Council has a number of powerful tools that could, in theory, wipe us out. Such as Etherion."

"But would they even have the balls to use that?" The blond man mused aloud. Cobra snorted.

"I'm sure they will if we keep pushing our luck. We should just hurry up and find Nirvana; no more 'convenient' detours." Even though Cobra had to admit that killing the guy that enslaved them for years at that damn tower was pretty satisfying…

Brain was slightly irritated with Cobra's flippant attitude… but the Dragon Slayer did have a point. The four of them needed to join back up with Hoteye and Midnight, who were currently leading the search in the Worth Woodsea. In all likelihood, the Council would not take long to mobilize forces to counter them…

* * *

Reactions to Jellal's death were about as Natsu expected. Those that weren't present for the Tower of Heaven's destruction and had only heard the vague story of what happened didn't give much of an outward reaction. Sho, Wally, and Milliana were relieved more than anything else; not because they particularly wanted the former Wizard Saint to die, but because deep down there was this innate fear that Jellal would be freed at some point and would hurt them all again. They had more or less forgotten the boy he once was. Kagura, too, felt relieved that man could no longer hurt her older brother. Gray, Mira, and Juvia were respectfully silent, but they looked to Erza in concern…

Simon could not really find relief or joy in Jellal's death. He was not blind to the evils the blue-haired mage had committed over the years, but at the same time he could not completely attribute those actions to Jellal's natural state of mind. Simon agreed that something must have possessed Jellal to change so drastically, and he had hoped that Jellal's imprisonment would not only serve as a means of his atonement but also a means of healing. If anyone could determine what might have possessed Jellal, it would have been the Magic Council.

But now Jellal was gone, and would never return to them in both body and mind. Yet as saddened as he was, Simon was more concerned for Erza; of everyone present in the Guild Hall, she grew the most quiet and unresponsive. This is obviously what Natsu had been steeling himself for. As much pain as Jellal had given her, he had at one point been a dear friend for her. Simon supposed that was what Erza was currently struggling with, same as him. At least in life, Jellal could have had the chance, no matter how small, of coming back to them; in death, those chances completely evaporated and left him irredeemable. Jellal would be remembered far and wide as the man who had nearly resurrected Zeref, and not as the boy who sparked a revolution.

Regardless of how everyone felt, Team Crimson Flame and Gajeel departed from the Guild soon after that. The journey to the rendezvous point was largely uneventful; admittedly, Gajeel laughed his ass off at Natsu succumbing to his motion sickness. Though the Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't laughing for long when he started to feel it, too, and he complained about how transportation had never affected him like this before. Fortunately for Gajeel (or perhaps 'unfortunately'), Kagura was kind enough to knock him out and put him out of his misery. Of course she didn't mimic Erza and place the Iron Dragon Slayer on her lap; Gajeel just wasn't her type. It was a little strange that Wendy didn't seem to suffer motion sickness as well, but perhaps it was a bit presumptuous to think all Dragon Slayers suffered from the same weakness.

… Somewhere faraway, two little boys sneezed and looked around suspiciously.

Before long, they'd reached the vacation home of Bob, the Master of Blue Pegasus, and received a warm welcome by the Trimens. … Well, the ladies did, in any case. Kagura, Wendy, and Carla were treated like princesses; Erza had kindly asked to be left alone while she stayed next to Natsu and Simon. And it worked… until he came out.

"Sweet parfuuum!" Ichiya cried out ecstatically as he slid down the railing on one leg. When he came to a stop at the bottom of the staircase, he pointed at her sexily. "It's been far too long, Mrs. Dragneel! Don't worry, your sweet honey is here!"

Erza shivered at the mere sight of Ichiya, and drew close to Natsu all the more.

"It hasn't even been a month since the wedding… Why can't you take a hint?"

"'Cause he's as stubborn as the two of us, and he is one of Blue Pegasus's strongest, so it's kinda natural they'd send him." Natsu snickered before squeezing his wife's hand consolingly. Dealing with the flirts from Blue Pegasus was never easy, but at least they never tried to do anything overt.

… Okay, so Ichiya was borderline with that obsessive sniffing, but Erza kicked his ass whenever he got too close. A few times Natsu would even step in just so he didn't seem like the negligent boyfriend (now husband, of course). It wasn't that Natsu was entertained with Ichiya discomforting Erza – it was simply that Erza was more than capable of protecting herself, and she'd assured him of that on more than one occasion.

Needless to say, Ichiya settled down when Kagura rose up from her seat on the couch imposingly. He remembered far too well that little lecture the younger Mikazuchi gave him on 'decorum' in regards to interacting with married women… Oh, Ichiya could take a feisty Erza; her parfum was simply too irresistible. But throw in a second woman who is just as gorgeous and deadly, who had no problems with treating him as a volleyball along with the ravishing Mrs. Dragneel, and, well… Let's just say Ichiya curbed his habits a little.

It didn't take long for Gajeel to work on the nerves of the members of Blue Pegasus, though. He didn't know the four of them very well, and they seemed too obsessed with romance to be fighters of any real skill, even with Natsu and Erza both vouching for Ichiya. Throw in two of the three members of Lamia Scale when they finally arrived, and it was a recipe for a brawl reminiscent of those in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.

At least until Jura showed up and got them all to settle down. Then they perused the information Blue Pegasus had collected on Oracion Seis, and formulated a plan of attack. Shortly after, they would set out for the Worth Woodsea to meet their foes in battle…

* * *

... Or at least, most of the members of the Alliance would do so. Truth to tell, Natsu was no longer the impulsive, reckless idiot of a Dragon Slayer that would rush ahead of everyone else with the intent of showing everyone up. No, he was now an impulsive, reckless S-Class Wizard Saint idiot of a Dragon Slayer. Much more prestigious, you see. One of the many things Erza helped train him in was his keen sense of smell (along with the other senses). Even better, Team Crimson Flame had a telepath on their team.

So when Natsu picks up an unfamiliar scent soon after exiting Master Bob's mansion with the others, he outwardly goads Lyon and Gajeel into a race to the Worth Woodsea, which pretty much spurs most of the others to pursue them. Telepathically, he tells Simon his plan to take on the nearby enemy, but to keep it to himself for now. Simon doesn't like the thought of leaving Natsu alone to fight an unknown enemy… but he had to admit, Natsu had proven to be quite dependable.

Though in fairness… the older Mikazuchi did have to fill Erza in when she noticed Natsu wasn't following everyone else. She was the one that largely convinced Simon that Natsu would be fine. Oracion Seis was not to be trifled with, but neither was Natsu Dragneel. Besides, Ichiya seemed to be trailing behind the pack as well, so the Fire Dragon Slayer might have some backup if he needed it.

"Good. We're finally alone." Natsu smirked as he turned to the stout man. He coated one hand in flames and threw a fireball the pretty man's way, not surprised that he dodged the attack. "Ya mind dropping the act? It's kinda hard to miss a sloppy transition like the one you pulled off."

When the imposter Ichiya insisted on his identity, Natsu hit him with a Fire Dragon's Roar, which finally got the Gemini Twins to drop their disguise.

"How did you know?!" One twin demanded as he danced about a little.

"Yeah! Our disguises are always flawless! Physical appearance, body odor, and memories! We get them all when we copy somebody!" The other twin chimed in. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Just call it a hunch I had." Natsu deadpanned, not really wanting to disclose information like that to the enemy. In truth, it was something fairly subtle; after Ichiya returned from his bathroom break in the middle of explaining the Oracion Seis and their goal, he'd gone back to being flirty with Erza the tiniest amount.

Despite Kagura cowing him into behaving earlier. What really helped is that he'd gotten a little tip on Angel prior to Makarov assigning them the mission…

* * *

"Jellal is dead. Oracion Seis attacked the prison for unknown reasons… and wound up killing the man they were supposedly breaking into prison to get." Ultear told the Dragon Slayer in a businesslike tone after Natsu guided her to a private place in the forest near his and Erza's home. She'd come as a messenger of the Council, and when she expressed that she would like to inform him of this news before Erza found out… Well, Natsu indulged her. Ultear seemed fairly serious for once, and he didn't want to bug Erza this early in the morning with who was likely her least favorite person in the whole world.

It didn't lighten the impact of the news. Natsu definitely knew he'd made the right decision in indulging Ultear this time; Erza would eventually have to be told, but _not_ by the Councilwoman that she rather loathed.

"How… did he die…?" Natsu asked quietly as he stared down at the ground. Ultear crossed one leg over the other as she sat on a tree stump across from him.

"Poisoned, apparently. The Council believes it to be the work of Cobra – the Poison Dragon Slayer of the Oracion Seis. It wasn't exactly a… painless death. Quite the opposite, actually.

Natsu grimaced and rubbed his temple. Out of everyone, Erza was going to want to go after these guys. She'd really tried to bury any and all sentiment for the guy after they defeated him… But you couldn't completely do away with those sentiments when that man was once a boy who inspired you to fight. It wasn't love or anything strong like that – merely the lingering feelings of an old friendship, and Natsu respected that.

How was he going to break this to her…?

"Well, I should get going now." Ultear remarked after several minutes of Natsu becoming unresponsive. She stood up from the stump and walked over to Natsu until she was standing alongside him, facing the opposite direction. "Don't berate yourself for something you couldn't prevent from happening, Natsu. This is the Council's failure, and I will personally acknowledge it and take responsibility. All the same, be ready for Makarov to announce that Fairy Tail and other Allied Guilds will be dispatched to deal with Oracion Seis. He should be returning today."

Ultear began to walk in the opposite direction of Natsu, and then came to a stop once more when she seemed to think of something else to say.

"… Also…" Here she seemed to hesitate, but a few moments later Ultear decided to just come out and say it when she felt Natsu's eyes on her back. "Be on your guard. The Council's knowledge of Oracion Seis's members isn't perfect, but one member, Angel, we know to be a Celestial Wizard. Particularly, we are aware that she holds the Gate Key for the Gemini Twins, who are capable of transformations that one cannot normally see through before it's too late. The person that may seem like an ally may actually be your enemy in disguise… Just… be careful."

When Natsu still didn't say anything, Ultear vanished in a shimmer, revealing her to be a projection the whole time…

* * *

"That must have been quite the hunch." Angel casually remarked as she stepped out from behind a tree that Natsu was looking toward. Placing a hand on her hip, she went on to say, "To think you would distance yourself from your allies… You must be truly foolhardy to think you can take me on your own, even if you are a Wizard Saint."

Natsu grinned ear to ear at hearing her taunt.

"Well, ya don't get to my rank without showing a little initiative, y'know? I'm pretty sure out of everyone in the Alliance, I'm your worst possible matchup."

Angel glowered balefully at the Dragon Slayer.

"Oh…? And why's that?"

Natsu punched his open palm as flames and electricity erupted around his hands.

"You're a Celestial Wizard, and I'm a Dragon Slayer! I betcha I can outlast you!" Natsu grinned cockily and charged right at the silver-haired woman. To that, Angel rolled her eyes while the Gemini Twins proceeded to transform into Natsu.

She would not be intimidated here. Wizard Saints had been dropping like flies lately, and this Natsu Dragneel would prove to be no different. Angel was one of the six Demon Generals, after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note: If you think this will be a complete rehash of the Natsu-in-Oracion-Seis storyline in my collection, you'll be woefully mistaken. It's a bit of bad luck that I conceived that AU around the same time I was getting to the Oracion Seis Arc in this main AU, but I think I'll make it different enough to be interesting. I am on Thanksgiving Break, and I look forward to what freedom I do have to write for this; should be fun with Kagura and Simon thrown into the mix. Oh, and Gajeel to supplant Gray for this occasion. :D**

 **Few things to address… Yup. Ding-dong, Jellal is dead… Can't rightly recall when I conceived the idea of Oracion Seis killing him off, but I liked it for shaking up Fairy Tail's storyline a fair amount. Say what you will about the guy, but his death at this point wouldn't be completely 'celebratory' – hence why I had Simon and Erza react the way they did, and why Natsu was a bit uneasy about revealing the news. In terms of future plot points… this will affect 'Crime Sorciere', as well as the Tartaros Arc… One of the keys to releasing Face has indeed been unlocked (back then I didn't quite have an understanding of Face, but now I'm a little more acquainted with it…).**

 **Cute little reference to Sting and Rogue. It's worthy to note that they're around Wendy's actual age – the Tenrou Island timeskip threw things off. I didn't have Cobra sneeze, 'cause I figured he doesn't have the motion sickness like Wendy doesn't just yet; in canon, the times that Dragon Slayers pick it up seem to vary, but it's ultimately inevitable (I mean, even Wendy eventually gets it!). … I did forget Laxus, but ah well. :P**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

Though they ran as a disorderly pack, the members of the Alliance eventually reached a ledge that overlooked the core of the Worth Woodsea. As Lyon came to a stop, Gajeel clumsily crashed into him from behind, causing the Ice Make mage to get up in the Iron Dragon Slayer's face.

"Lyon!" Sherry called out in slight distress, but the Ice Make mage ignored her.

"Oh, throwing cheap shots now, are we?!" He snarled when Gajeel shoved into his face with even more force.

"Don't test me, pretty-boy! Yer not Salamander or any of those freaks in our S-Class ranks, so I'd squash you flat in just a few minutes!"

"Funny, I was about to say that _you're_ not on Jura's level! So I could take _you_ on!" Lyon shot back heatedly. Both men growled when Titania got in-between them and pushed their faces apart.

"Focus!" The redhead barked, and shortly thereafter, a giant floating construct passed by overhead.

"Wow, Simon, do you see that?!" Wendy let out in amazement, to which Simon confirmed that he did.

"That's the Magic Bomber – Christina!" Erza explained for those who didn't recognize it.

"Heh… I need one of those…" Gajeel smirked. Lyon shook his head.

"It certainly lives up to its reputation."

"It's so cool." Wendy murmured. Happy looked up at it with similar wonder.

"Whoa… Horses can fly, too?"

"Please refrain from opening your mouth again." Carla grumbled.

"Alright. Let's split up and start looking for their temporary base." Erza took charge of the group as Jura gave her an indulgent nod of acceptance. He might've been the Wizard Saint of their motley crew at the moment, but he did respect her reputation.

"I'M FLYING THE BOMBER THING!" Gajeel called dibs almost immediately.

"Not happening." Lyon denied him flatly. A moment later, there was a sudden explosion on the right side of the floating bomber, followed by several more subsequent explosions all over it. In mere seconds, it went crashing into the forest below.

"Oh, no!" Wendy gasped while everyone else looked on in silent shock.

"This doesn't bode well." Lyon eventually said over the crackling flames of the wreckage.

Suddenly, Kagura narrowed her eyes and she placed a hand on the hilt of her blade.

"Simon."

"I know." Her brother responded calmly and tried to prepare himself for the impending clash.

Gajeel sniffed at the air and called out.

"We've got company, stay on yer toes!"

"I… I can't do this…!" Wendy said timidly as she hid behind a rock formation. Carla looked back at her chidingly.

"Don't hide!"

In the thick cloud of smoke that had expanded to cover the edge of the cliff, three imposing silhouettes came into view. Based on their profiles, they were Cobra, Brain, and Racer; half of the Oracion Seis were right in their midst. This was a slight cause for concern, as it implied the possibility that Natsu was taking on more than one of them…

"Lowly maggots… swarming together." Brain grunted in distaste. He'd hoped that Angel would have rejoined them by this point, but it looked like one of those troublesome Wizard Saints had split off to deal with her.

No matter. Brain was quite confident that the three of them could handle this conflict. There was a reason that Oracion Seis had garnered such a fearsome reputation.

"We really shouldn't try taking them on when they're together like this… even if their number is halved." Eve spoke up timidly, to which Cobra smirked.

"There's terror in your voice, maggot! And rightly so!"

"The quicker we wrap this up, the better!" Racer pointed challengingly at the Alliance members. "I'll run you over so fast, it'll make your head spin!"

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to show yourselves." Erza remarked. For several tense moments, all sixteen of them had a standoff. The Alliance definitely had the numbers, but the three Dark Wizards didn't seem too bothered about that. Then, to kick off the fight, Gajeel cracked his knuckles and mirrored Cobra's dark smirk.

"Let's just get started already!"

"Want an invitation?" The Poison Dragon Slayer shot back, to which Gajeel cackled and rushed forward. Brain barked out dully.

"Racer. Take them."

"Yes, sir!" The spiky blond disappeared in a blur and made a beeline straight for Gajeel, ramming into him and passing him by like it was nothing.

"Sherry!" Lyon called out as they ran straight for the speedster.

Kagura wasted no time in going after Cobra, and she was joined by Erza, who Requipped into her Heaven's Wheel Armor and materialized many swords in the air.

"Dance, my swords!"

"Impressive!" The Poison Dragon Slayer chuckled, and proceeded to effortlessly dodge each and every blade, while also backing away from the unsheathed swipes of Kagura's sword.

"Impossible! Can he read our attacks?!" Erza wondered aloud.

While this was going on, Racer was plowing through the Trimens and was about to move onto Lyon and Sherry, but in his haste he got caught up in a controlled field of the Dark Moment Spell, which was brought about by Simon in a haze form. The Dark mage was fast enough to escape the Dark Burst attack that Simon immediately followed up with, but as a result of running a straight line through the dark fog, he ran straight into Lyon's Ice Make: Snow Dragon, and subsequently, Sherry's Wood Doll.

"You're really starting to piss me off!" Racer growled as he recovered enough to speedily bounce between Lyon, then Sherry, and finally Simon.

Jura ignored the two younger members of Oracion Seis in favor of their leader, who had yet make any sort of move himself. Deciding to force him into action, Jura conjured an arm made entirely of rocks from the earth that surged forward spearheaded by a fist.

"Iron Rock Fist!"

Brain narrowed his eyes at the Wizard Saint and merely raised his staff at the incoming attack.

"Dark Capriccio!" A dark burst of energy drilled into the incoming fist and plowed straight through the arm effortlessly. Instead of dodging Brain's counterattack, which was still headed his way, Jura smirked and made use of all the now-floating rocks.

"Supreme King Rock Crush!" Immediately, all of the stones gathered together and encased Brain in a formation of rock that subsequently exploded, sending the leader of Oracion Seis reeling back and collapsing from the heavy assault – his Dark Capriccio canceled instantly.

"Shit!" Cobra snarled as he flexibly wove around both Titania and Kagura's melee attacks. Where was Hoteye when you needed him?! Fighting a Wizard Saint head-on might even out the odds for those Alliance bastards, and they couldn't afford to lose here. "Racer!"

"I'm on it!" The speedster kicked Gajeel away before rushing for Jura. To which the Lamia Scale Ace conjured a bendable rock wall from the earth that the Dark mage simply could not penetrate no matter how much he ran circles around it. The blond snarled when Jura sent the wall exploding outward in chunks, successfully striking him multiple times before Jura's fist smashed into his jaw and sent him flying back into a tree. .

In the next moment, Cobra's snake, Cubelios, seemed to expand in size as it weaved past the two women trying to slash at the Dragon Slayer with their swords. Cobra then maneuvered her over to Brain as the Dragon Slayer helped him get on top of the snake.

"Yeah… We're done here, boss. The three of us just aren't cutting it."

Brain snorted derisively, but did not otherwise argue. Racer's Spell _should_ have given them an edge, but apparently Jura's title was not all for show. Nevertheless, even in retreat, Brain refused to do so feebly.

"Dark Rondo!" Brain raised his staff high as dark spirits swirled around it and condensed into an attack that burst outward in a wide-ranging sweep at their enemies. He was not surprised at all when Jura stepped up yet again to defend his allies with an impressive Iron Rock Wall. Still, it provided a sufficient distraction for them to escape.

When Jura maneuvered the battered wall enough for the Alliance members to see in the front, Cobra and Brain were gone. And looking to where Racer had come to rest revealed that he had escaped in the chaos as well. It was more of a draw than anything else, but getting half of the Oracion Seis to retreat also seemed like a victory to many of the gathered mages. They just needed to keep their momentum up.

"Next time I see Blondie, he's going down." Gajeel grumbled as he stretched to soothe his aching muscles. He didn't know how that guy's Magic worked, but he _was_ going to find out.

"Get in line. We actually landed a couple of hits, unlike you." Lyon gestured to Sherry with his head and smirked at Gajeel's agitation. He valiantly ignored the hearts that sprouted in Sherry's eyes.

Happy looked up at the Iron Dragon Slayer curiously.

"Isn't Blondie your nickname for Lucy?" Gajeel glared moodily at the blue cat.

"Tch. I don't care about names, cat. All I care about at this point is revenge against that punk." He looked about in annoyance. "Where's Salamander, anyway? He's the one that started that crap race, and he wasn't even around to lend a hand."

"What? Mad that I beat you?" Lyon smirked cockily at the Iron Dragon Slayer, who was promptly restrained by Kagura when she yanked his ear.

"Stop being barbaric. You are both needed to fight." The swordswoman deadpanned.

"Listen to the pretty lady, boys!" Hibiki chimed in, with Eve and Ren echoing similar chiding sentiments. In response, Kagura booted them into the sky for standing too close.

"It _is_ a bit worrisome that Salamander hasn't caught up. Or Ichiya, for that matter." Jura mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Erza looked to Simon as the topic of Natsu came up again. If anyone in their group knew how the pink-head was faring, it would be him. Simon offered a small smile at Erza's concerned glance, as well as Wendy's.

"He's on his way, and he's got a gift for us." The older Mikazuchi remarked cryptically, feeling slightly amused as Erza and Wendy's confusion grew. Who said Simon couldn't have fun with his team every once in a while?

* * *

Angel scowled as the pink-head dispensed with Gemini. As powerful as the Celestial Spirit twins could be with their transformations, they could only keep a transformation up for about five minutes. To top it off… this Natsu Dragneel was an insufferable, destructive Pyromaniac. He dodged the attacks Gemini threw his way, and returned the assault tenfold. Frankly, Angel felt so exposed out here… and she was in a fucking forest, where she should be able to find many forms of cover. That showed how little the Dragon Slayer cared for his surroundings; regardless of what Gemini did, the knucklehead would just not stop pursuing her. Brain was going to be pissed.

When the pink-head landed a lucky shot on Gemini in the form of a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame attack, sending the twins back to the Celestial plane, Angel moved right along to summoning Scorpio. In response, the Dragon Slayer conjured lightning in one fist and flames in the other before bringing them together to generate a sparking explosion of the combined elements that encompassed the Celestial mage and her Spirit. Though Scorpio did try to take the brunt of the assault, the explosion was simply too overwhelming, and Angel ended up screaming in agony before collapsing unceremoniously to the ground. When Scorpio coughed, smoke came out, and the Spirit apologized to Angel before travelling back to whence he came to recuperate.

Natsu smirked and cackled when the silver-haired woman continued to lay there twitching on the ground. Though he wasn't proficient in it like Erza, Natsu still managed to Requip a length of rope into his hands; rope that he kept on-hand for situations such as this, at the advice of his amazing wife. His amazing, beautiful, wise… intimidating wife.

"Give… those… back…" Angel glared balefully at the Dragon Slayer as he searched her and swiped her Gate Keys. Natsu merely smirked back at her in return and eyed the three golden keys and one silver key in curiosity.

"I don't support kleptomania or nothin'… But we've got a Celestial Wizard of our own back at Fairy Tail who would be very happy to have these. 'Specially the gold ones." The pink-head cackled. "Hehe. Maybe I can charge her favors for 'em, too. Erza is pretty interested in that story she's writing, and she hasn't been sharin'…"

Angel growled as the Dragon Slayer kept rambling and trussed her up like he didn't have a care in the world. The silver-haired Dark mage tensed when some bushes rustled nearby and a roughed-up Ichiya emerged looking quite glad he'd found an ally.

"Ah, there you are, Natsu! Maaan!" As the stout man strode up to the pink-head, he noticed the now-bound Celestial Wizard and did a double-take. "Y… You captured Angel of the Oracion Seis?! Well done, maaan!"

Natsu chuckled and watched as Erza's usual pervy stalker took deep whiffs of their captured foe and muttered things like, "Such an exotic parfum…! Not as stunning as Mrs. Dragneel's, but still quite lovely! Maaan!" This got Angel to twitch all the more as a tick mark appeared on her forehead and she bared her teeth menacingly.

"You stay far away from me!"

Natsu's chuckles died down and he bent down to scoop Angel up before tossing her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Obviously the Dark mage would not stand for this, and immediately did everything in her power to resist. … Which amounted to her flopping around on Natsu's shoulder because she was trussed up from her shoulders to her toes.

"What do you think you're doing?! Just leave me be, you bastard!"

Natsu rolled his eyes as he and Ichiya began to walk in the direction toward the Worth Woodsea.

"Yeeeah, not happenin'." Natsu deadpanned. "You're gonna tell us what you know about Oracion Seis, and we kinda need to keep an eye on ya… But more than that, I wouldn't want anything to happen to ya, y'know? It's not fair to leave you tied up 'n helpless."

Angel's expression became sourer, and she looked away from the Dragon Slayer in irritation. Natsu grinned and jabbed his free thumb at his ally.

"Hey, if you want, Ichiya could carry ya. I'm just a married man, so I couldn't possibly be more trustworthy than hi…" Natsu chuckled sheepishly as a dark aura formed around the silver-haired woman and she glared venomously into his very soul, _daring_ him to continue with that train of thought. He rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe. Leeet's just get back to the others…"

Angel nodded tersely, maintaining her livid glare even when the Dragon Slayer ceased his cruel teasing. Very, _very_ reluctantly, she settled herself in for being a prisoner of war. Those idiot teammates of hers had better beat these clowns and liberate her, or so help her… Angel sighed internally. The silver-haired Dark mage knew no help was coming; not when every available hand was needed to search for Nirvana.

… Well, at least this pink-haired bastard was warm.

* * *

Brain cursed as he returned to their temporary base to recuperate. He felt one of the lines recede on his face, indicating that Angel had been the first of them to fall. The leader of Oracion Seis had suspected she wouldn't be able to handle a Wizard Saint, but he had held out a modicum of hope that she would find a way to put him down, even temporarily. Of course… this was the very same person that had defeated Jellal – not only defeated, but soundly _thrashed_ in every sense of the word. Natsu Dragneel had truly earned his rank.

Still, this was only a minor setback. It was a grave miscalculation to send in the Celestial Wizard alone like that, but if she could have thinned out the ranks of those maggots even a little… Well, in the end, it hadn't been worth the risk. Racer, Cobra, Hoteye, and Midnight were still active, and they were all out there searching for their prize. Hopefully all of the sub-Guilds under their command would clog up the Alliance's search efforts and weaken them. Because at this rate, it was possible that other members of Oracion Seis would fall, and they could not afford anymore setbacks.

Eventually, Brain stood up and marched back to the cave entrance. He would unearth Nirvana with his own two hands and leave his pawns to battle the Alliance. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

For a good long while, Gajeel stared with a twitching eye. The Trimens were currently joining their 'boss' in ogling the prisoner of war with their eyes, while a majority of everyone else was congratulating his fellow Dragon Slayer and giving him pats on the back for a job well done.

"Bull… crap…" Gajeel growled out after a while, prompting Natsu to wiggle his eyebrows tauntingly at him.

"Whazzat, Junkyard? I succeeded where you failed? Why, thank you!" Natsu chuckled sheepishly when Erza elbowed him in the ribs. He couldn't help it – needling Gajeel was just as fun as picking a fight with Gray. To top it off, he hadn't once lost to the guy, unlike with Erza, Mira, Laxus, Gildarts, Gramps, or, Kami forbid, Ice Prick…

"Each of these guys was supposed to be powerful enough to take down armies…" Gajeel growled again. "You lucked out, that's all. She's probably the weakest of the bunch."

Natsu shrugged neutrally.

"Maybe she is. She's just a Celestial Wizard, y'know. I was like her worst possible matchup 'cause of what a powerhouse I am." Natsu placed his arms behind his head and looked up at the sky idly.

"Ah, so she's like blondie, then." Gajeel nodded all-knowingly. If she was that pathetic, of course Salamander stomped her flat. Even he could have managed that, had he been there.

Natsu waved a hand about in an 'eeeh' fashion.

"Sorta. But she had these Spirits that could copy people; Jiminy, I think? Anyway, they could copy our Magic 'n appearances. They kinda gave me trouble, but once I got rid of 'em, it was kinda easy to beat her, I guess." The pink-head admitted.

"I think you mean Gemini, Natsu. The Gemini twins." Erza corrected him half-heartedly. Natsu nodded in understanding, and then perked up as he dug into his pocket.

"Oh, yeah! Lookie what we got for beating her!" Natsu grinned impishly as he held up four Gate Keys. It took a moment for Erza to process what this meant for them, but when she did, Erza got this mischievous glint in her eyes as her hair overshadowed her face and she cackled just a little.

Tell her not to read that engaging manuscript, would she? We-he-he-hell… How much were a few golden Gate Keys worth? Fate was smiling down on them once again.

"Wahhh! Natsu, you broke Erza again!" Happy shouted out in concern as he floated next to the two, but the Dragon Slayer patted him on the head comfortingly.

"Nah, that's just one of her daydreaming faces, buddy. I did a good deed for the day." Natsu grinned from ear to ear, and the blue cat instantly calmed down, nodding sagely at his best friend's explanation.

"What's gotten into Erza?" Wendy wondered as she stood over by Simon and Kagura.

"Based on the Gate Keys… I would think they're going to force Lucy to do them a few favors." Simon mused. At this point he'd been desensitized to the married couple's shenanigans. It wasn't that he didn't feel sorry for the blonde Celestial Wizard… It's just there was nothing that could be done. Trying to 'spoil the fun' was inadvisable.

"Good grief…" Carla sighed.

"LAY ONE FINGER ON ME, AND I'LL GRIND YOUR TESTICLES INTO DUST!" Angel roared at the Blue Pegasus womanizers, and to their credit they heeded the silver-haired woman's words of fire and brimstone. They were GENTEEL-men, after all. … If not a bit flirtatious and admiring of the curvaceous figures of women…

"I think it's for the best that you four interact with the prisoner as little as possible…" Jura suggested to the Blue Pegasus members as he coughed into his fist awkwardly.

"I'll handle the interrogation." Lyon spoke up with conviction, confident that he could get the criminal to spill what she knew. Sherry wasn't too happy with her crush volunteering himself like that, but her protests were drowned out by Gajeel, who got up into the silver-haired man's face again.

"I don't think your ice sculptures will help here, pretty-boy. _I'll_ do it."

"Oh, please! You would only injure her until she can no longer provide information! You know not the subtleties of interrogation, you uncultured brute!"

"What'd you say…?" Gajeel growled and raised his fist menacingly. However, the scarlet knight latched onto his long black hair and yanked him back before he could initiate anything.

"Enough. _I_ will handle the interrogation. The two of you and Sherry will set out as a team to hunt down the other members of Oracion Seis." When Gajeel and Lyon looked like they were going to protest, she put on one of her 'scary' faces and asked of them, "Problem, boys…?"

"NO, MA'AM!" The two male mages immediately capitulated to Titania's frosty glare. Sherry just looked relieved that they had stopped fighting and that Lyon was unharmed.

Jura looked to the Blue Pegasus members and advised that they travelled as a group. Though Hibiki would be staying behind with Erza because his main specialty lied in his Archive Magic. As the senior Wizard Saint of the group, Jura could travel out there on his own. Kagura would be searching alongside Simon, and Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla would form the last group. Once all six teams were set, the five search teams deployed to go hunt down Oracion Seis while Erza and Hibiki remained behind to set up a base camp and watch over Angel.

The operations of both sides were underway.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Right, right. Before I delve into my notes, I wanna get this out of the way. If anyone is interested in having their voice heard for the pairings beyond Natza – mainly in regards to Gajeel and Team Mira – then feel free to vote in the polls I've set up on my Profile. The way I've set them up is that I have my initial plan for them listed along with the suggestions readers have brought up at one point or another (Gajeel x Kagura is most recent). In fairness, 'Juvia x Lyon' was just me trying to think of someone for her if the readers really want Gray x Mira; it doesn't have to be Lyon, hence why I listed '(or Other)' in that option.**

 **But I didn't want to seem closed-minded to others' pairing suggestions. If you want something other than Gajeel going for Levy or Kagura, or Gray ending up with Juvia or Mira, you need only pick the 'Other' option and send me a PM or leave a Review saying what pairing you do want. All you need do is vote to have your voice heard (it is a blind poll, to keep it unbiased). Personally, I just don't feel as strongly about the other pairings as I do about Natza; I'm open-minded to Gajeel x Levy, Gray x Juvia, Mira x Freed, but I'm also open to other pairing options. Sometimes I like the variety when I read others' fanfics. The only limit I will place on this poll is NO yaoi/yuri pairings; I'm just not comfortable writing that, let alone reading it. All pairings have to be heterosexual to be registered in the polls. I'll keep them up for a while – ten chapters at most, five at least. I'd just like to give you guys time to vote if you want to. Maybe some of you don't care, and that's fine. Just giving everyone the opportunity.**

 **A little shorter than 'normal', but I didn't want to delve into any of the upcoming fights just yet. I can imagine some of you know how this will pan out, in part; it won't be a total rehash of canon, but there's at least one opponent who kinda needs to be taken down a certain way… Ah, but I might have fun with Nirvana affecting the characters. I mean, it'd be boring to** _ **only**_ **have Hoteye/Richard affected; the FT Wiki says that it exchanges an equal amount of darkness and light, meaning an even number of people switch sides at the first stage, but I'm not quite sure if I'll adhere to this specific rule. It's a good rule, mind you, believable. But my mind kinda latches onto the character's heart 'wavering between light and dark' – indicating to me that rule is slightly of more importance. If only because most of the characters are set in their ways or are experiencing negative emotions for the sake of someone else (a la Natsu on Erza's behalf).**

 **If I wind up with an even number of people, I'll go with it. If I wind up with an odd number of people, I'll still go with it. I won't force any characters to the point of wavering; I believe I've hinted at least a couple of the characters who will be switching sides, temporarily or not. Hoteye's still gonna be one of them because Wally, and it should be interesting to write a reunion between the two in the future. ^^**

 **I dunno what it is about Angel, but I find myself leaning toward portraying her a certain way (deep down, I think part of it has to do with her eventual reunion with Yukino…). The Natsu-in-Oracion-Seis AU is one thing, but even here… Meh. The main AU won't be a harem, but I am seriously considering making the NiOS AU one, in which case I should probably separate it into a different fic to keep this collection purely Natza. It's one reason I haven't quite finished off the first arc of that AU.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

The two Dragon Slayers and two cats had been walking for a while now. Despite Natsu wanting to just have Happy fly him around until he found someone to beat down, Carla advised against it as there was no telling who might be on the lookout for aerial enemies. After all, there was more than simply the Oracion Seis themselves in these woods; their intel indicated that all of their sub-Guilds were here, too, which only meant more work for them. Plus, all of that flying around would only waste Happy and Carla's Magic – and there was no telling when flight would come in handy in these upcoming clashes.

"I swear… if we don't find someone soon, I'ma clear out all these stupid trees and make 'em come to me!" Natsu roared impatiently, garnering an unimpressed glance from the white cat.

"How this boy is an S-Class Wizard, I will never now." Carla muttered in disbelief. Happy just smiled without a hint of regret and waved off his One True Love's criticism.

… Don't tell her he referred to her in such a manner.

"Aw, that's nothin'! Burning down a forest has happened tons of times with Natsu! This one time, he and Erza wrecked a church to get at some hostage takers!"

"I think that was before we made S-Class, too…" Natsu mused, scratching his cheek at Carla's look of utter disbelief and horror.

"And they still made you S-Class…" The white cat whispered in awe. It wasn't a good kind of awe.

"Well, yeah." Natsu laughed sheepishly. "Don't ya know that's why Gramps is always harping on everybody? Doesn't matter if you're S-Class or not, we're the Council's biggest headache. Gildarts even wrecks stuff when he's not watchin' it; it's kinda why Magnolia has a procedure for whenever he comes back."

"… Master Makarov has my complete sympathy." Carla deadpanned while Wendy giggled a bit at Natsu's carefree attitude. The bluenette might've been a little timid still, but her team was pulling her out of her shell, slowly but surely. Something that both aggravated and made the white cat grateful.

Shortly after this, Natsu suddenly stopped when he seemed to get a whiff of something. Happy was the one to voice his concern.

"What's up, Natsu? Enemy close by?"

Natsu didn't answer his buddy right away; something seemed to pass between his eyes before he smirked mischievously and started running off in a seemingly random direction.

"I figured they busted him back out! Ohhh, Erigor's ass is grass when I get through with him!" The pink-head roared eccentrically, and the others finally snapped out of their shocked states to run after him. The blue tomcat helpfully explained how the 'Shinigami' known as Erigor had been one of the first big enemies that Lucy had to face when she first joined Fairy Tail, back when Team Crimson Flame dragged her on missions. The Eisenwald Guild wasn't that big of a deal for Natsu, Erza, and Gray, but Lucy had been a bit intimidated, especially when they had to fight Lullaby, one of the Demons from the Book of Zeref.

The 'great' Shinigami had tried to put up a fight, but Natsu had stomped him flat last time, and apparently he was looking forward to doing it again…

* * *

It didn't take very long for Kagura and Simon to find trouble. And it wasn't a minor, sub-Guild kind of trouble; the Mikazuchi siblings were actually 'lucky' enough to stumble upon one of the Oracion Seis. Specifically, they encountered the one codenamed Hoteye – a large, bulky man with flowing orange hair that reached below his shoulders. Right from the get-go, the man tried to trap them by liquefying the ground beneath their feet, but thanks to Kagura's quick reflexes and Simon's telepathy, both of them were able to avoid Hoteye's opening move.

"I seeee you, hmhm!" The Dark mage chuckled as he moved out into the open. He spread out his arms as he spoke to his foes as if he hadn't just attacked them. "I heard through the grapevine that we had some uninvited guests causing us trouble! To think I would encounter a few of you for myself. Ah, once I take you down, I may just get a pay raise! How splendid!"

Kagura frowned as the imbecile before her prattled on about money. Despite his appearance and attitude, she needed to keep in mind that this was one of the Alliance's most powerful enemies. Apparently he made use of a certain type of Earth Magic, which would make getting in close to fight him rather difficult. Simon, on the other hand, was studying this foe's face very carefully; there was just something about it that tugged at a corner of his memory, and yet he couldn't place where he might have seen this man before. Had it been at the Tower? If it was, he could've been anyone; there were so many slaves, and even as one of Jellal's personal fighters he didn't know where each of them winded up. A great majority passed on before the Tower's completion, but obviously Hoteye hadn't been one of those.

Jellal had been too secretive for his own good. This was going to bug Simon until he figured it out.

 _'Simon, you should stay up here for now,'_ the raven-haired man heard clearly in his sister's head. His brow furrowed, as he did not want to force her to fight this dangerous enemy alone, but… _'I'll be fine. The earth might be a weapon at his beck and call, but he shouldn't be able to keep up with me.'_

Simon, though reluctant, would acquiesce for the time being. Kagura didn't just specialize in swordsmanship, after all. She was also learning Gravity Magic, which might at the very least slow Hoteye down. Simon wouldn't just hang back, however – he would move around and look for an opening, so as to strike Hoteye and give Kagura more of an opportunity to bring him down.

There was a brief tense moment before Kagura rushed the giant man after leaping between several branches to keep him guessing. Hoteye had no problem countering this, as he sent a massive wave of liquefied ground at the swordswoman. Using the Gravity Change Spell, Kagura forced the ground back down just enough for her to pass over it and take a swing with her sheathed blade at the orange-head. Needless to say, Hoteye had not seen this combination coming, and he stumbled back in agony from the first slash that gave his shirt a massive diagonal cut.

Kagura did not stop there. She dished out several more sheathed slashes that wounded her opponent more and more and kept him reeling back; at one point, the pendant around his neck was severed and torn apart by the younger Mikazuchi's furious assault. However, Hoteye proved to be rather durable, and he eventually overpowered the teenager by bringing a tidal wave of liquefied earth up from behind her before disappearing into the earth himself. With Kagura now effectively pinned and Hoteye nowhere in sight, Simon had to try and anticipate where Hoteye would strike from next.

Needless to say, he was very lucky to have moved from his current position, as in the next moment, a pillar of liquid ground rose up to try and capture him, but only succeeded in snapping the sturdy branch like a twig as it lowered back down and revealed Hoteye smirking back up at the elder Mikazuchi.

"Now's about the time when you start begging for your comrade's life, oh yeah! But let me tell you – it will take a hefty sum of money, since we _are_ enemies."

Simon gritted his teeth and decided that he would need to settle on a stalling tactic until Kagura could break herself free. It would be a bit risky if he was wrong, but he wanted Hoteye's focus to be on him, so…

"To be completely honest with you, my sister and I aren't all that wealthy. Up until a few months ago, I was forced to be a slave for a man that had fallen victim to some malevolent spirit and live isolated in a Tower; my sister had been searching for me tirelessly, and so had been moving about the continent."

Hoteye's brow seemed to furrow at the mention of a tower, which Simon took to be a good sign. It elevated the chances that he _had_ seen this man before.

"Wh-Why should I care for your circumstances? If you aren't the least bit wealthy, you and your beloved sister will die here today…"

Simon pressed on with his diversion, as Kagura seemed to finally realize what he was doing, and began to resist the quicksand-like substance harder.

"I bring this up because I get the distinct impression I've seen you before. And if I somehow recognize your face, it means that you weren't a guard associated with that Tower. Which can only mean… you were a slave there, like I was. You and I were both slaves at the Tower of Heaven."

 _That_ got a reaction from the Dark mage, as he stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at Simon. After all, it wasn't every day you had a reunion with a brother-in-suffering from a Tower that had a high casualty rate. Simon merely offered a small smile as both his opponent and his sister stiffened at this revelation. He didn't know how it would pan out from here, but Simon _hoped_ he could somehow convince this man to stop fighting them. As fellow victims of that damned place, they should be able to understand one another; there had to be a reason that Hoteye had travelled down the path he had.

* * *

"… What drives you, Angel? Do you have any dreams?" The Dark mage in question narrowed her eyes as her redheaded interrogator switched gears all of a sudden. She'd tried bombarding Angel with questions about her idiot teammates – their skills, their quirks, even the typical why they were seeking Nirvana. And to the silver-haired Celestial mage's credit, she hadn't answered a single one, despite having no reason to remain loyal to them at this point.

Of course, Erza was just as tenacious, if not moreso. And to _her_ credit, she hadn't wounded the prisoner… yet.

"…" Angel really didn't know how to respond to that. The impulse was to snap back the same thing she'd been spouting ever since the interrogation began – which is to say, it was none of her damn business… But… There was a different tone to the question than all the previous ones. Red was generally curious about what she wanted. Angel could tell when someone had an ulterior motive for asking a question, and that is why she didn't know what to say.

There wasn't some underlying motive to this question.

"Natsu and everyone at Fairy Tail are what drive me." Erza continued on, seemingly ignorant to any turmoil Angel had. She smiled softly as all of their visages flitted through her mind's eye. "Before Fairy Tail, a number of events happened that led me to believe I wouldn't be able to truly trust anyone, and so I joined the Guild with the greatest of reservations. But Natsu changed that, and proved that I don't need to wear armor to protect myself all of the time."

"I didn't ask to hear your sappy love story." Angel snapped bitterly, averting her gaze from the probing eyes of the scarlet knight. She knew what Erza was trying to do, and she still wasn't in a talkative mood. Prisoner she might be, Angel still had _some_ control over what their enemies claimed as spoils of war. Information was power – even trivial crap like what motivated her.

"I'm just trying to understand why you joined Oracion Seis." Erza tried to sound patient, but some of her exasperation slipped through. "My experiences led me to join Fairy Tail, and to eventually want to protect everyone in the Guild from the harshness of the world. Obviously, you lived through very different circumstances to become a Dark mage of impressive skill."

"Not everyone can be a shining white knight!" Angel pointed out in a sickly sweet tone, demonstrating just how much she despised 'official' Guilds.

"Or a heavenly angel, apparently." Erza replied calmly.

Angel twitched very slightly at this.

"Salamander squealed on that detail, did he? Make one little slipup, and the enemy will pounce…" The silver-haired woman grumbled, recalling how she mumbled her prayer upon losing to the Wizard Saint. Apparently, that pink-headed knucklehead heard her with his Dragon Slayer-sensitive ears. Angel glared at the scarlet knight critically. "If you already knew that, why bother asking about my 'dreams'?"

"Because I wanted to hear it from you," Erza explained softly, bringing a clenched fist to her breastplate. "It's not a terrible dream to have, but why choose this method in pursuit of that? Oracion Seis has ruined the lives of so many people. Destroyed so much. From what I can tell, you couldn't be farther from your goal."

Angel scowled and rolled her eyes.

"Because you Light Guilds are sooo much better…" She drawled back sarcastically. "I might not pay too much attention to your side's stuff, but at least I know that you and that Salamander are, like, the most destructive duo in Fairy Tail. That bureaucratic Magic Council has even locked you up a few times, am I right?"

"They have." Erza patiently allowed, much to the ire of the silver-haired prisoner. "Many Fairy Tail Wizards go overboard and have habits that disrupt the peace. But I would still say there is a distinct difference between what my Guild does and what Oracion Seis has done and still continues to do, even now… Wouldn't you agree?"

"…" Angel's scowl deepened. Leave it to a Light Wizard to try and justify themselves… Typical. If anything, that's the real difference right there, and not what Red was implying… What was this, an attempt to guilt-trip her?

"Have you ever experienced loss, Angel?" Erza changed her tac again, looking for any subtle changes in the Celestial mage. Before she could go on, though, Angel cut in rather snarkily.

"Lemme stop you there, Red." Angel smirked tauntingly up at her interrogator. "If this is about that bastard Jellal that Cobra executed, your little sob story isn't going to get any sympathy from me. I bet you didn't even know that guy as well as you think you did."

Man, that bastard was a piece of work. First, he became their tormentor after killing off those cultist idiots. Then, when they went to retrieve him for the purpose of locating Nirvana… the guy was a cross between an asylum psycho and an amnesiac. Little wonder Brain had him snuffed out for being useless in the end. Cobra had been muttering about stuff he'd heard radiating off the guy's soul, like regret, guilt, and a whole lot of other crap… But a ton of it had to do with the infamous 'Titania' before her, how he had hurt her. Angel didn't know the connection between the two, and frankly, she didn't want to know… Jellal had been a fucking tyrant, and he deserved what he got.

"I somehow doubt that…" Erza mumbled as her hair fell over her face. Angel strangely referred to Jellal in a familiar way, and she wanted to know about that connection. But even so, Jellal's death was a fresh wound for her… Not the death of the monster that took over that horrible Tower and enslaved her friends… but the complete death of her childhood friend that had inspired her, made it possible for her to become who she was today. In life, there was a slim chance they could exorcise whatever spirit was possessing him and help him regain that old personality. In death… he was gone. No coming back. That was not something that Erza could easily forgive. "… But that isn't what I would have brought up. I've lost more people than just Jellal, and that kind of pain _is_ excruciating. I don't know if you've experienced that sort of loss, but there are other types. Loss of freedom, for example…"

Angel narrowed her eyes as this was brought up. _That_ was a leading question. Doubtless, Red had recognized her 'connection' to Jellal, and what that heavily implied. But Angel was not going to talk about _that_ … Titania was getting a little too chummy if she actually believed that bit of history was something to share so freely. More than that… what right did Titania have to know about what she had lost? Angel had carefully avoided directly thinking about _that_ loss for years, and now here Titania was opening up old wounds. Titania had some nerve.

"What makes you think I'd want to talk about anything with a bleeding heart like you…?" Angel sneered before resorting to the silent treatment from that point onward. In her impulse to be mocking and jeering, perhaps she'd encouraged the scarlet knight in her incessant questioning… for whatever obscure reason. Titania wouldn't have ammunition if she kept quiet. If she was tortured for it, hey, it would be nothing new…

* * *

Elsewhere in the Worth Woodsea, Gajeel and Lyon were very content despite being in one another's company. The reason?

"Oh, it's just you chumps again… What, no Wizard Saint to back you up this time? Ya got some kind of death wish?"

… They both found the smug face they wanted to smash in the most. Poor Sherry would have to deal with both their wounded egos until Racer was flat on the ground.

"Do try and keep up…" Lyon told the Iron Dragon Slayer mockingly as he prepared one of his Ice Make Spells. Gajeel snorted contemptuously.

"Speed ain't gonna matter here, pretty-boy. I figure you'll be reminded of that soon enough." Without wasting any time, he cast the Spell needed for his Iron Scales. When his transformation was complete, he glowered at their opponent while crossing his arms. "You go ahead 'n do your little art show – I'll be the one landing the finishing blow."

Lyon scoffed at the bravado, but didn't have time to retort as Racer was surging forward, laughing all the while.

"I'm the fastest man alive! There's no way you maggots are gonna lay a finger on me!" The blond crowed.

"Ice Make: Ape!" Lyon scowled as a large ice sculpture appeared behind him that attempted to punch their speedy foe. The fist missed its target, of course, and Lyon was kicked into his very creation, smashing it to pieces.

"Iron Dragon's ROAR!" Gajeel tried to time his attack for the moment that Racer kicked Lyon, but naturally he was a little too slow in his response time. Racer disappeared from view again and was behind Gajeel in an instant. What he was not expecting…

… was a feint of all things. Gajeel had called out the name of his attack, but he hadn't actually sent anything at the Dark mage. So when Racer was behind Gajeel, he wasn't expecting a roundhouse kick at the time he rematerialized. With Iron Scales reinforcing the blow, Racer was sent tumbling across the open plain they were currently in. When there wasn't any follow-up, Gajeel growled at the unresponsive redhead.

"Red! Attack _now_!" Gajeel roared before moving onto his next attack, Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs. Extending his arm out, a Magic Circle appeared and shot out several iron spears that fired in rapid succession. Snapped out of her stupor, Sherry quickly nodded her head and conjured a Wood Doll to strike the Dark mage. Lyon, not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, picked himself up and fired off several Ice Make: Eagles.

In the end, most of those attacks were for naught, as the speedy Dark mage had stopped his tumbling abruptly and regained control of his movements. One of Gajeel's spears managed to slam into one of his legs, but even that was more of a tough grazing blow than something that hit him dead-on. Still, Racer was pissed now, as the Iron Dragon Slayer was proving to be wilier than he was the last time… Last time he was just roadkill. But now? Bastard was a pothole on his fast track to victory.

"I'm done playing around! Time to settle everything with Dead Grand Prix!" The blond roared as he summoned numerous green motorcycles to race toward his enemies, while hopping aboard the lone red one. When none of his foes were taken out, he sneered as they mounted his rides in order to be on 'equal' footing with him. "These are almost as fast as me! Let's see if you can keep up!"

That said, Racer revved his engine and took off for the line of trees furthest away. Lyon and Sherry had mounted one bike, with the redhead managing the steering and feeding the SE-Plug. This was done so that Lyon would have both hands for attacking Racer. Gajeel… well… Let's just say he was only now realizing his folly in mounting a vehicle. Which was a form of transportation. Which meant his totally new motion sickness was kicking in – OH KAMI WHY…

"B-Bastards…" Gajeel grunted as he struggled to hold it together. He was _not_ becoming like Salamander… This was supposed to be Pinky's hilarious Achilles' Heel. Gajeel was a **man**. He could handle a motor vehicle… He could…

Welp. There went his lunch.

"Oh, just stay here!" Lyon called out in exasperation as he cast an Ice Spell that surrounded Gajeel, wrecking the motorcycle and promptly raising him high in the air. Smirking up at him, the Ice Make mage seemed to cue the Iron Dragon Slayer to notice a peculiarity flying overhead he had picked up on before Sherry kicked their cycle into high gear. "Don't forget, _you're_ the one who will land the decisive blow!"

Gajeel growled at the 'pretty-boy's' antics, but didn't otherwise do or say anything, except for break the ice around his upper body. If Lyon could get this bastard to stand still for long enough… Yeah, he probably could.

"Looks like he's finally starting to get it…" Gajeel grunted before surveying the land that his ally and enemy were speeding across.

Racer smirked back at the Lamia Scale mages that were closing in on him now that they were heading into the forests.

"That was a dumbass move! What, do you really think you can take me by yourselves?!" The blond roared with laughter, easily maneuvering his cycle to dodge the Ice Make attacks sent his way.

They would continue on like this for some time. Racer proved to be quite adept with his vehicle – reading the environment shrewdly, attacking at precise moments when Lyon and Sherry didn't have much maneuverability… In spite of the Dark mage's expert driving skills, Lyon did eventually nail him with Ice Make: Eagles, and ironically enough it was just as the line of trees was coming to a stop before a small outcrop that overlooked a lower portion of the Worth Woodsea. Racer's wrecked ride went careening over the edge before brilliantly exploding, but the speedy Dark mage himself got off before all that and came down hard on the Lamia Scale mages before they could even attempt to put on the brakes.

Sherry was now lying on her side and watching Racer hover over Lyon, who was fiercely glaring up at the blond in defiance. Racer knelt down and casually pulled out a dagger that he always had on hand.

"That's three of my bikes you idiots wrecked… Those don't come cheap, so I don't think I'll spare you with a _quick_ and painful death, but rather, a slow and agonizing one." Racer held the blade threateningly close to Lyon's jugular. "It's what you punks deserve, after all."

"You do realize… that I've worked out the secret to your 'speed'…" Lyon chuckled mirthfully, causing the speed mage to narrow his eyes. This he had to hear.

"What? You expect me to believe a maggot from a loser 'official' Guild puzzled out my Magic? Go on, _enlighten me_!"

"You don't make yourself go at super speeds… you slow everything else down to make it _seem_ that way." Lyon smirked at Racer's gobsmacked expression. "That's right. Thanks to our little road race, Gajeel should now be outside of your area of influence… And we're even in a neat, visible area!"

Racer growled as he looked back toward where they had left the Iron Dragon Slayer. The Ice formation that held Gajeel was towering over the trees, and it appeared that he was preparing an encore of the attack he had used against Racer earlier.

"You weren't goading him, you were giving him a sniping post!" Racer seethed. He stood up and fully faced the Iron Dragon Slayer in the distance, prepared to run back toward him.

"That's right. And you know something else I noticed? New things that enter your special field of Magic don't slow down as one might think; they keep their rate of speed." With this said, Lyon froze Racer up to his knees, garnering a glare from the Dark mage.

In the next moment, Gajeel fired off Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs. Racer managed to break one of his legs free, but he couldn't get to work on the other one in time as the iron spears came raining down on him in rapid successive fashion.

"They're… so fast…!" Racer yelled as he made a futile attempt to shield himself with his arm. Even his sunglasses burst at this intense moment. "My prayer… to be faster than anyone else… That's _all_ I want…"

Gajeel's iron spears struck true, and Racer was smashed into the ground with brute force. It took a few minutes for the Iron Dragon Slayer to get to where they were at, but he was quite pleased to admire his own handiwork… Racer was relatively close to the edge of the cliff now, but he was still very much alive.

"Heh… I bet Salamander couldn't have pulled _that_ off." Gajeel rubbed his nose proudly before erupting into thunderous laughter. Didn't matter if it could be called a 'shared' victory… He still delivered the final blow, so _he_ took down a member of the Oracion Seis. Salamander got the weakest of the bunch, while _he_ brought down _this_ dirtbag.

"Don't be so sure…" Lyon muttered from his sitting position. "He, Titania, and Gray brought down Deliora… which was a magnificent feat in itself, but they made it look like overkill between the three of them, quite frankly."

"Whatever. I've still got enough juice to keep going with these bastards. Let's just move onto the next." Gajeel moved to leave, despite Lyon and Sherry still sitting there, but he froze when Racer stood back up and faced them.

"In the name of the mighty Oracion Seis… I'm takin' ya to the big slab in the sky!" The blond yelled out passionately as he opened up his coat to reveal a bomb Lacrima underneath.

"… Is he insane?" Lyon asked, completely bewildered. Gajeel growled lowly before he performed Iron Dragon's Sword, which transformed his entire left arm.

"I did _not_ go through all of that just to wind up dead…"

Yet Racer kept cackling madly as he charged the three Alliance mages.

"We'll cross the Finish Line together!"

"Not happenin'!" Gajeel ran straight up to the blond bastard, held him by the jugular, and sliced off the straps holding the bomb Lacrima in place. Then, he gruffly threw the blond aside before picking the Lacrima up and throwing it with all of his might over the edge of the cliff; a few scarce seconds later, a powerful explosion went off, thoroughly proving that they could have bit the dust if Gajeel hadn't acted so quickly. Turning to face the speed mage with a look that could kill, Gajeel materialized Iron Scales around his fist as he shook it at the blond. "You wanna try that again? I coulda knocked your sorry ass off the cliff instead of saving it, so you're _very_ lucky that I became a damn Fairy, who doesn't believe in that effective method anymore. Next time I won't hesitate, though… Keep that in mind, bub."

Racer maintained his shocked expression in spite of the clear threat. Instead of taking any more chances, Lyon froze the Dark mage in a formation that would keep him restrained. Gajeel would have just knocked him out, but hey… to each his own pretty-boy way.

… At least he was still the one to beat Racer. Not pretty-boy or Red – _him_.

* * *

"What a waste of time…" Midnight declared as he stood over the fallen forms of Ichiya, Eve, and Ren. They'd managed to take down one of their sub-Guilds, but against him, they were nothing more than ants.

Father did send out word that they had some interlopers in their midst… Perhaps it was time to stop looking for Nirvana and start actively hunting these Alliance flies. Somebody had to do it.

* * *

Brain hissed as another line receded on his face. It appeared that Racer had fallen in battle as well. If another of them should fall, he would seriously consider halting all search efforts in favor of ending the foolish Alliance Guilds that sought to stop them. The Oracion Seis would not fall on this momentous day!

However, no sooner had he thought this than he quite literally stumbled upon their goal. Without hesitation, Brain broke the Seal and observed with manic eyes as a powerful pillar of dark light burst up to the sky. It wasn't long after that when Cobra rendezvoused with him; of course the Poison Dragon Slayer would pick up on his overflowing pride and joy. There was still the Alliance pests to deal with, of course… But…

"Nirvana is ours! The presence of those maggots no longer matters." Brain declared quite arrogantly as he immediately planned to take control of Nirvana and elevate it to its true form. Their victory was assured.

And Cobra shared in his leader's enthusiasm… Unknowing of the changes happening across the battlefields.

* * *

Simon's gambit hadn't paid off. In spite of the initial shock value, Hoteye quickly recovered and proclaimed it changed nothing. The Dark mage was still convinced that he needed money to get what he truly wanted, and so he wouldn't waste any time with this 'fellow slave'. What were the chances he knew of _that_ information?!

And so Hoteye quickly brought Simon down to earth – quite literally – and placed him in the same bind as his sister. Hoteye was just going to leave them to suffocate within his Liquid Ground, when that powerful beam of light sprang up, indicating Nirvana's activation.

"Soon we'll be rolling in dough! Oh yeah!" Hoteye proclaimed passionately as he 'generously' released the Mikazuchi siblings. There was no need to take them seriously now that their main objective was within reach. Obviously someone from Oracion Seis was there at 'Ground Zero', or Nirvana wouldn't have awoken. Seeing the stunned faces of his adversaries, he giggled. "There's no reason to get worked up! Its main operation hasn't been activated yet. The light simply means its Seal has been broken!"

Simon gritted his teeth at this revelation. Telepathically, he relayed his views on what they should do now.

 _'Kagura… You need to rendezvous with the others and head toward that beam of light. Hopefully, Natsu, Erza, and the others can stop Nirvana before it's too late… I'll stay behind to distract Hoteye.'_

Having a pretty good idea of what Simon would use as a 'distraction', Kagura firmly shook her head and glared back at her brother.

 _'I'm not abandoning you! We'll take him down faster together.'_

Before Simon could argue against her decision, Hoteye garnered their attention once again.

"We're about to become incredibly wealthyyy!" He raised his arms in the air joyously before something seemed to come over him. "M-Money? Money, money, MONEY!"

In the next moment, the bulky man let out a strange scream, putting both Kagura and Simon on their toes as he now clutched both sides of his head and seemed to struggle with himself.

"Is he… possessed?" Kagura wondered aloud, to which Simon shrugged. He had never experienced anything like this before…

But before long, the struggle ceased, and Hoteye lowered his arms and gazed at the pair of them lovingly.

"Money… is the root of all evil, oh yeah!"

"BUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID A MINUTE AGO…!" Simon and Kagura yelled out with dumbfounded expressions. To make the moment even more surreal for them, Hoteye began crying rivers of tears and making heartfelt poses as he moved about energetically.

"You see… I've been searching for my long-lost younger brother! And I thought if I accumulated enough wealth, I'd be able to find him! Oh yeah! But now I realize how foolish it was for me to think that way… I was wrong…! Simon! Kagura! Why don't we bury the hatchet and become friends?! Oh yeah! The world around us is overflowing with love! Full to burst with sweetness and compassion! Anything is possible when you have the Power of Love on your side! OH YEAH!" The large man then proceeded to wrap the Mikazuchi siblings in one big, warm, rather uncomfortable bear hug that they slightly struggled against… Really, the guy had a (loving) grip of steel. "What do you say we work together to put an end to my former comrades' plans? We must teach them the wonders of peace, love, and harmony! Are you with me?!"

"Y-Yeah… Sure…" Simon said, rather uncomfortably. Hey, the guy was being bear-hugged and had a waterfall of tears pouring down on his head. Would _you_ be comfortable?

Kagura was slightly twitching and wanting to slice and dice the large, bulky man for _thinking_ he could lay a hand on her or Simon… But sharing a look with her older brother, she couldn't really maintain her rage. For whatever inexplicable reason, Hoteye really seemed to have a change of heart, and considering their pasts, they should be able to sympathize with the former Dark mage, even just a little…

But damn if this wasn't pretty awkward…

* * *

"What the heck's that?!" Natsu exclaimed as he ceased shaking the comatose 'Shinigami'. That's right, Natsu had found and beaten his former foe in under two minutes… Which was kinda embarrassing, considering the Dark mage's supposed reputation.

Wendy stared up at the beam of light fearfully, as did the two cats behind her.

"Is that… Nirvana?!"

Natsu briefly looked between the fallen Erigor and the beam of light. Once. Twice. Thrice. Before he dropped the 'Shinigami' and made a mad dash for the beacon in the distance with a determined look on his face.

"Screw small potatoes like that guy, his bosses are _toast_! I'm all fired up!"

It took a few moments for Wendy, Happy, and Carla to register that Natsu was leaving them in the dust… but they did realize it. Y'know, eventually.

"Natsu!"

"Wait for us!"

"Don't boorishly rush into battle like that!"

Eh. What're you gonna do?

* * *

"This isn't good…" Hibiki cursed as both women he was with started to look… affected. He tried to knock Erza out the moment the dark light appeared, but she easily sidestepped him and sternly asked what he thought he was doing.

That was when the redhead started clutching her head. And Angel rested hers against the tree she was propped up against. But right now, the Archive user wasn't concerned about the Dark mage in their midst… Erza was the most pressing concern. If she swapped sides now… No, Hibiki refused to think about that. He moved to knock her out again, but Erza effortlessly batted him to the side and continued to be affected by Nirvana.

Hibiki barely had to listen in on the interrogation to know that Oracion Seis killing Jellal had deeply wounded Erza. Right now, those negative emotions – grief, anger aimed at Oracion Seis… Nirvana was using those to swap Erza's light for darkness. There was no telling what Erza would do if the swap was completed.

He got up one last time to attempt to disrupt the process, but by that point, he was too late. He could tell by the furious glint in her eyes as she turned toward Angel, who was now sporting a wide-eyed expression.

"Shit…" Hibiki breathed out as the redhead Requipped a blade into her hand. Was she going to hunt down each of the Oracion Seis and murder them? Taking these Dark mages down was the objective, but not _murdering_ them…!

Fortunately for the Archive user, an Iron Rock Fist slammed the side of Erza's head, which sent her flying into a nearby tree and knocked her out. Hibiki rubbed the top of his head and stared at Jura, who must have gotten back just now.

"I had an ominous feeling that something might happen… I wished to stay close to base camp for Natsu's sake, since his wife is with child. Tell me… is this Nirvana's doing?"

"Yeah…" Hibiki replied with a grave expression. "We need Natsu back here. There's a possibility we can reverse it, but it's going to take someone personal to whatever grievance Erza has. Otherwise… Erza is not going to rest until she personally kills each and every member of the Oracion Seis. From there, I have no idea what she would become."

"You speak as if you knew more than you were letting on earlier…" Jura mused as Hibiki grimaced. It looked like he would have to explain all of his knowledge after all.

"What have I done…?"

Both Alliance Wizards were snapped out of their thoughts upon hearing Angel's voice. They turned to her, only to see her immensely guilt-ridden face as she stared down at the ground. This surprised Hibiki the most since he had been listening to the interrogation earlier. Angel didn't seem like one of those whose heart was wavering between light and dark… But here was living proof that she just might have been.

Hibiki sincerely hoped no one else from their side was affected by Nirvana… Nirvana was a powerful, ancient Magic that was not to be trifled with. And it was neither merciful nor cruel in nature – if anyone wavered in their heart, it would change their nature.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Pretty fun chapter to write… A lot more to come, and it's gonna be a bumpy ride, but we'll get through this arc… Y'know, in a chapter or two. XD**

 **So… Hoteye, Angel, and Erza are affected this time around. Don't fear Angel becoming OOC; I got a plan for her. The initial change might make her seem timid and vulnerable, but she'll still have a personality close to her canonical one later down the road. If only as a mask to fool a certain person…**

 **I wound up not killing Racer as initially planned. Why'd I spare him? Well… I guess it ultimately boils down to not letting Gajeel swap natures (y'know, again, sorta). Erza's already enough of a handful on her own. Look forward to a bit of angst… or dread it, if that's your style. XD**

 **This main AU's really hitting its stride now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter at least a little.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

Nirvana's transformation had come hard and fast for both sides. Any of Oracion Seis's sub-Guilds that didn't get caught up in the ancient weapon's unearthing were booking it – none of them wanted to get squashed by mere chance. And to top it off, two core members of the main Dark Guild had been converted by the very weapon they sought – while simultaneously, a certain scarlet knight had also been affected by the powerful Magic. In other words, the war had now wound down to three Dark mages against a number of Alliance Wizards in various states of health. Victory could be attained by either side; the Alliance had an uphill battle to fight, while the Oracion Seis had to fight shrewdly, while also mobilizing their plans to take the Magical World by storm. Really, at this point, the war was for Oracion Seis to lose, despite their low numbers.

"YES! At long last, I have finally obtained it, the ultimate weapon which extinguishes Light! The Legendary Reversal Magic, Nirvana!" Brain exclaimed maniacally as he spread out his arms in ill-contained joy. "Those nearsighted Guilds will cling to their piety, their fellowship, and trust! But now, such things will be stripped of meaning!"

"You actually pulled this off… You got us Nirvana!" Cobra complimented his leader as they stood the tallest structure in the now apparent ancient city. The Poison Dragon Slayer touched one of the pillars reverently. "A city that's been long dead, brought back to life. Cubelios, don't you think that's amazing?"

Brain chuckled darkly as he gazed out at the 'grand' view.

"Behold, Cobra! Look at the world that now spreads out beneath our feet! An entire city, unshackled from time and the very earth itself – this is Nirvana's true form. And from this seat of power, I can move this city to anywhere I see fit!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure you've got somewhere in mind. So where we goin'?" Cobra inquired curiously as he now took in the same view as Brain.

"I know exactly what our first target shall be. A certain Guild Hall." Brain answered ominously, to which Cobra smirked.

"Heh! So we're starting with a bang, are we?"

"It shall be the first of _many_ Lights to be extinguished!" Brain declared boldly before waving his staff and bringing about a ring of Magical projections that functioned as the 'controls' for maneuvering the whole city. "Nirvana! Begin your march now! Transform my Darkness into Light!"

In that moment, both members of Oracion Seis perceived two glints in the sky as they seemed to be homing in on their location. Cobra instantly recognized them as Dragon Slayers of the Alliance, and at least one of them would be trouble…

"HAAA! I'm puttin' the brakes on this thing!" Natsu roared as Happy flew him down toward Brain. Needless to say, his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist attack missed, as Brain sidestepped it, but Natsu was not deterred as he unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roar on the floor that Brain and Cobra were standing on – sending the flames on a destructive path toward Brain.

Wendy, with Carla flying her around, didn't want to be left out, so when Brain shielded himself from Natsu's assault, she came at him from the side with a Sky Dragon's Wing Attack. The leader of Oracion Seis cursed at his focus being disrupted, and so ended up taking Natsu's fierce flames anyway.

"Cobra! Dispense with these lesser Dragon Slayers at once!"

"I hear ya!" Cobra muttered as he ordered Cubelios to headbutt Wendy while he sprouted Poison Dragon Scales on his arms before swinging them and sending a barrage of poison energy blasts toward Natsu. A barrage that Natsu easily avoided thanks to Happy, but Wendy and Carla weren't faring as well against Cubelios, and that was Cobra's plan from the get-go.

Ultimately a stupid plan, considering that Natsu did not take it very well when any member of his Fairy Tail family – let alone a member of his and Erza's personal family – was attacked. You did not. attack. Natsu Dragneel's. family!

"Pal, I'm comin' for ya!" Natsu declared as Happy swooped him down so he could get in close. However, Cobra could perceive his thoughts…

"You wanna get in close so that I can't dodge your 'Brilliant Flame' attack… Not a bad strategy, but I got a decent defense!" Cobra sneered as he put up Poison Dragon's Guard – a massive shield made of Poison Dragon Slayer Magic. Despite its destructiveness, Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame could not pierce Cobra's shield.

Natsu ceased that attack when it proved ineffective, and Happy once more had to fly Natsu out of harm's way when Cobra expertly transformed his shield into an offensive weapon that he sent the pink-head's way. The two Dragon Slayers were now at a standoff as Natsu tried puzzling out Cobra's abilities. Brain attempted to take advantage of Salamander in this stalemate, but the pink-head proved to be quick on his feet… or rather, Happy proved to be quick with his wings as he tried to keep Natsu from getting hit with Dark Capriccio.

"It's useless, I can hear your every thought!" Cobra mocked the Fire Dragon Slayer as he foolhardily tried to attack with the basic Fire Dragon Wing Attack and Iron Fist Attack. Cobra effortlessly avoided each melee attack, and even caught the pink-head's wrist in a vicelike grip. Unfortunately, this would prove to be a mistake on his part, as the moment before he tried to punch Natsu with a Poison-coated fist, Natsu smashed Cobra's face. With a Lightning-coated fist.

Followed up by a rapid succession of kicks that got Cobra straight in his gut and made him release his grip. When the two separate once again, Cobra wincingly glared at the Pyro.

"Wh-What the hell was that?! You weren't even thinking about pulling that crap!" Cobra hissed painfully.

Natsu grinned provokingly at the maroon-haired man.

"Whoops! Did I act before thinkin' again? Shoot, I'm sorry, dude. Want me to try that again?"

Cobra understandably gnashed his teeth and growled at Natsu's cheeky response. Looking over at Wendy and Carla revealed they were somehow managing to evade Cubelios, so really, it was pointless to keep fighting like this. Cobra called his friend back over and had her sprout her wings.

Salamander wanted to play games, Cobra would oblige. He'd play with his prey until he killed them off for the honor of the Six Demons…

* * *

"… Should you really be removing those…?" Angel asked quietly as Hibiki freed her from the ropes. It was… strange to be given even a modicum of trust by people you called your enemies.

"You've been affected by Nirvana," Hibiki replied calmly as he stood back up after freeing up her legs. "Maybe I am naïve for doing so, but I can't get those eyes of yours out of my head. Your eyes have been opened to what you've done as a member of Oracion Seis. Even if you tried to attack us or flee, I think it's safe to say that you wouldn't help your former comrades."

"…" Angel didn't move or say anything. Her eyes focused on the grass, and her hair only moved a little from the light breeze that blew through the camp.

Nirvana had since risen. It had done nothing else, but Hibiki and Jura knew that it would only be a matter of time before Brain launched whatever his insane plan was. Jura wanted nothing more than to get on top of that monstrosity and hunt Brain down, but they had a priority to watch over Erza. Tying her up would do no good, since she was a Requip mage; leaving her alone with Angel was equivalent to leaving the former Dark mage to die. They needed Natsu to return, but he had already been en route to the top of Nirvana by the time Hibiki got in touch with him. The pink-head didn't really leave the Archive user enough time to explain what was wrong with Erza; the dense Pyro was under the assumption that Erza could handle anything.

But that trust wasn't a good thing in this case. If Erza was fighting anyone or anything else, Hibiki would find that trust admirable; but Erza technically had to fight herself, the darkness in her own heart. On her own, she could not do that – and that was because her nature had been flipped. Revenge wasn't a simple desire to repress anymore; it was more or less a mandate. And neither Hibiki nor Jura were fit to make her see reason.

"We came as soon as we got your message, Hibiki." Lyon announced as he, Sherry, and Gajeel entered the camp, dragging the unconscious form of Racer along with them. If only because Gajeel refused to push a chunk of ice around. "What's happened?"

"And what'd ya free the girl for?" Gajeel asked as he pointed at Angel, who was now sitting against the tree with her knees drawn to her chest, eyes still quite miserable. "Ain't it a bit too soon to let 'em do whatever they want?"

"Well, you see…" Hibiki trailed off before Jura answered the queries of both.

"The situation is quite grim. Nirvana has the power to change anyone between good and evil, and it has done so for Angel… and Erza."

Lyon understandably went wide-eyed at this revelation.

"No way! You're telling me we have to fight _her_ now?!" He calmed down minutely when her prone form was pointed out to him. But only a little. She was Erza, after all.

"Not exactly." Hibiki rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, I guess we technically have to if she gets back up and tries to kill any of the Oracion Seis… But she won't be gunning directly for us, no."

Hibiki then proceeded to fill them all in on the particulars of Nirvana. Or at least what he knew of it. Some midway through the explanation, Lyon adorned a grave expression and froze Erza and Racer in separate blocks of ice. He was _not_ going to fight an Evil Erza. _Especially_ when she was on the warpath. After the explanation was over, it was decided that they needed to mobilize, as Natsu and Wendy were already heading for Brain; Simon and Kagura were also on their way up there, with another reformed member of Oracion Seis – Hoteye.

"… Let me come with you." Everyone's eyes panned over to Angel when she spoke these words. Tears glistened from her eyes, and she tried wiping them away. "If Hoteye is offering you support, then I will, too. It doesn't make up for what I've done, but… I…"

 _"… From what I can tell, you couldn't be farther from your goal."_

Angel went silent as Erza's words played through her head. As much as she tried to deny it, Erza's words had struck a chord with her. All these years, she tried to pass everything off as 'I had no choice', or, 'all humans are depraved and despicable creatures, so what if I kill a few?' Hell, she killed Karen Lilica because she'd only wanted the woman's Gate Keys… Angel knew deep down that she was a monster, but she'd done her utmost best to desensitize herself and avert her eyes to her own actions.

And then Nirvana stripped that all away…

"I dunno… can she even fight without her Gate Keys?" Gajeel asked. In fairness, Salamander _was_ holding onto those things…

"I think it'd be a good idea." Hibiki smiled disarmingly at the silver-haired woman, who seemed somewhat crestfallen at so easily being dismissed. "I bet Brain filled her in on a few things that I never found out about Nirvana. I mean, it was their ultimate goal, after all."

"Not to mention she can fill us in on her former comrades' abilities..." Jura mused as he rubbed his chin. He gave his consent as default leader, with Natsu absent and Erza… incapacitated. "That said, how should we proceed?"

Ironically enough, the moment this question was posed, Nirvana eerily began to move. Thankfully, it was not heading toward their position. Though its unknown destination was a cause for concern; just what was Brain plotting?

"I wouldn't recommend scaling that thing now…" Hibiki remarked sheepishly as he busted out Archive again. "Good news for you guys is that I've been working on Christina all this time. And, well, I guess the guys also helped patch it up physically… Thank Kami it wasn't beyond repair."

Gajeel pumped his fist in the air and roared triumphantly at this. … And then Lyon went and burst his bubble.

"Isn't Christina a mode of transportation? If I recall, you don't handle those very well." He said with a taunting smirk.

Gajeel glowered at the Ice Make mage before realizing that he was very… very… right… Ugh…

"Should I stay behind to keep an eye on Erza and Racer?" Jura asked Hibiki as he worked piloting Christina remotely to their location. The Archive User merely shook his head.

"No, with both of them fro…" Everyone tensed when the telltale sound of ice suddenly bursting reached their ears. Panning their eyes over to Erza revealed the redhead in her Flight Armor and glowering at them before flying off unexpectedly. In the next moment, Hibiki summed up everyone's thoughts perfectly. "… Shit!"

"We should pursue her…" Jura remarked as Gajeel was preparing to do so.

"No, we won't catch up to her at this rate." Hibiki shook his head as he hastened his efforts in piloting Christina. "We're heading to the same place – not to mention we share the same targets as her. If we can get to the remaining members of Oracion Seis before she does, we should be able to keep her from doing anything drastic… or at least I hope so."

"So, what? Are we just gonna leave blondie here?" Gajeel asked, jabbing a thumb at the once again frozen speed mage. He and Lyon paled as Angel seem to shatter the ice with ease.

"Hey!" Lyon yelled out in dismay. It was one thing for _Gajeel_ of all people to break his ice, but now this woman, too? If Gray were here, he'd be laughing his ass off!

"He comes with us." Angel responded sharply, slinging one of Racer's arms over her shoulders. For her, even though she now saw the error of her ways, she couldn't quite bring herself to denounce Racer and the others as her comrades; none of the people present could hope to understand the bond that they shared. Well… for five of them, at the very least. Brain took them all on as his apprentices, but Angel was doubtful he had done it out of the goodness of his heart. She would never trust that man as much as the others – if anything, the fact that he associated with Jellal was enough reason to suspect that he could be tied to their suffering at that damned Tower.

Hibiki concurred with her decision.

"Yeah, if he wakes up, we don't want him running off and escaping the authorities. I'll keep a watch on him in Christina while you guys take down the remaining members…" Having said this, the Magic Bomber finally arrived.

It was time to take the fight to Brain.

* * *

"So what is this place?" Simon asked Hoteye as they began journeying into the ruins. Getting up on top of the gargantuan structure had been a breeze with the former Dark mage at their side.

"It's the mystical city of Nirvana, where the ancient Nirvits once resided and prospered!" Hoteye exclaimed in his usual upbeat tone.

"The Nirvits…?" Kagura queried with a raised brow. Hoteye chuckled sheepishly.

"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them, since they left no record. They lived four hundred years ago in a time when the world was engulfed in war! The Nirvits tried to remain neutral, but the bloodshed was such that they became compelled to intervene. They created a type of Magic that would restore balance to the world, oh yeah!"

"Nirvana…" Simon mumbled, as the answer was obvious.

"Yes. A powerful Spell capable of switching Light and Darkness. So confident of their creation, they named it after their homeland, a word synonymous with peace! Oh yeah!"

"Ironic… Something built for peace has fallen into the hands of your former comrades, who wish for nothing but destruction…" Kagura mused. Simon shook his head and added his input.

"I doubt that the Nirvits foresaw it being used like this, Kagura. Criminals can find evil purposes for even the most constructive of Magics."

"In any case, now that it's been activated, Nirvana poses and a clear and present threat to the entire world! We must do everything in our power to destroy it! Oh yeah!"

The three of them halted in their running when flames started to ignite around a tower in the distance.

"They're lighting up!" Kagura remarked.

"It must be Brain's work, oh yeah. Knowing him, he's most likely controlling Nirvana through the Royal Throne located in the city's heart. Luckily for us, he's unable to use any other Magic while doing so. It's the perfect time to strike! Oh yeah!" Hoteye easily revealed.

"Since he's in control of it, is he taking it anywhere specific?" Simon asked.

"I'd wager that he is… Sadly, Brain did not share the particulars of his plan with the rest of us." Hoteye explained morosely.

"Not true." Midnight abruptly spoke from atop a building, getting the three mages' attention. "Father didn't trust any of the rest of you to tell you."

The four of them then stood in a tense stand-off.

"Hello, Midnight." Hoteye greeted sorrowfully.

"He's one of the Oracion Seis!" Kagura gritted her teeth and placed a hand on the hilt of her blade.

"You betrayed us…" Midnight leaped down to their level and stood leaning against a building behind Hoteye. He sneered. "I didn't think you had the guts."

"I haven't betrayed anyone…" Hoteye defended himself.

"Oh…?"

"I've come to realize the error of Brain's misguided ways!"

Midnight narrowed his eyes and suddenly reappeared behind Kagura and Simon.

"What was that? Why don't you come over here and say that, big guy?"

"How is he doing that…?" Simon wondered grimly.

"I say he is misguided because he truly believes a person's heart can be changed with Magic!" Hoteye continued to speak courageously. "But only love has the power to help even the weakest of heart to become strong! Oh yeah!"

"Hmph…" Midnight grunted before abruptly sending out some kind of shockwave that easily destroyed several buildings around them.

Thankfully for Kagura and Simon, Hoteye had protected them by softening the ground beneath them just before the attack.

"There's no time to waste! You have to hurry and get to the Royal Throne as quickly as possible!" Hoteye declared as he held two fingers before his eyes. "I'll stay behind and take care of Midnight, but you needn't worry about me! All members of the Oracion Seis are equal in power!"

"You _really_ think you're a match for me?" Midnight snorted derisively, toying with a braided strand of his hair.

"Earth Magic: Liquid Ground!" Hoteye conjured a Magic Circle in front of him and sent a tidal wave of earth at Midnight, which he simply repelled with the wave of his arm and some kind of unseen Magic.

"To think, it would come to the Oracion Seis turning on one another…" Kagura murmured as she and Simon slowly got out of the crater.

"Be careful, Hoteye!"

"I will, now go! Quickly! Also…" He turned to the pair and smiled with a blush. "I would prefer that you didn't call me that anymore. The name's… Richard, oh yeah!"

"Thank you, Richard." Simon corrected the way he addressed the orange-head.

"Heh… We're not supposed to reveal our real names to the enemy… That's a new low even for you, 'oh yeah'." Midnight mused darkly as the dust settled around him.

"I have no interest in hiding behind a codename now that I've opened my heart to love! Prepare yourself!" Richard declared as he launched another attack against his foe. Simon and Kagura watched him in awe for a moment more before deciding that they would need to break off from him.

After all, if he could put both of them in the ground (quite literally), then surely Richard could go toe-to-toe with Midnight. He had to win… They'd promised to help him find his brother, after all.

* * *

It'd been a fierce battle to be sure. Cobra was definitely one of the toughest opponents that Natsu had ever faced; factor in having to watch over Wendy, and the fight was absolutely grueling. Cobra's unique combination of sharp hearing and attacks that slowly corroded your body made for a deadly foe.

Even with Natsu 'turning off' his thoughts occasionally to throw Cobra off, the Poison Dragon Slayer found a way to get him thinking again by endangering Wendy with a sweeping long-range Poison Dragon Roar. Alas, when Wendy's shrill shrieking raised Cobra's ire, it gave Natsu the idea he needed for them to win this battle. And it didn't matter that Cobra heard that idea, because his ears were still ringing from Wendy's screaming.

"You threatened Wendy's life, and then you went and dissed Igneel and Grandeeney by calling 'em fairytales… Well, guess what, pal! You're through!" Natsu took a deep breath even as Cobra prepared to attack him with another Poison Dragon's Roar, and then… he just let it all out. It was perhaps the longest and loudest he had ever screamed; he didn't know how Happy or Carla were still holding onto him and Wendy, but he was grateful for their assistance. He felt even more sorry for Wendy, who had a set of ears just as good as his were.

All the same, his 'simple' scream seemed to get the job done. Cobra wobbled in place on top of Cubelios's head while the scream was ongoing, and by the time it ended, he slipped off and plummeted to the ancient ruins below, clutching his head in pure agony.

"MY EEEAAARSSS!"

Dazedly, Happy and Carla floated their respective Dragon Slayers down to Nirvana's surface, close to where Cobra had crashed down and lay writhing twitchily.

"Man, you got a fine set of pipes on ya!" Happy told his friend with a hint of amusement. … Though he really, _really_ did.

"Well, duh! The plan was to bust his eardrums, Happy! I had to show 'im a _real_ Dragon's Roar! Hehe!"

"N-Natsu…" Wendy turned to her brother/future father (they _really_ needed to settle on what Wendy was in their little family…) nervously, with some tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she massaged her ears. She then asked feebly, "C-Can you not do that… ever again…?"

That roar had really been frightening. If she hadn't been right there, she might've though it was some kind of monster. Natsu rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly at her.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Wendy! It was just the quickest way I found to beat him! I didn't mean to traumatize ya! I promise I'll try my best to not do it around you again… Though if we had to fight this guy again…"

… Yeah, Wendy resolved to be as far away from a rematch between Big Brother Natsu and Cobra as much as possible… Her ears just couldn't take it.

"Fascinating. He used Cobra's greatest strength against him… To think I've underestimated our enemies to this extent." Brain mused as he looked down from the Royal Throne. Another line receded from his face, but the leader of Oracion Seis wasn't overly concerned. If the Wizard Saint hadn't tired himself out by beating Angel, Cobra, and any number of their sub-Guilds, then he surely got weakened by Cobra's Poison at any point during their battle. If he had to stop piloting Nirvana for a few minutes to swat the pests, then so be it.

And then the blue tomcat holding up the Saint in question began to plummet to the ground.

"Happy?!" Natsu exclaimed in distress.

"Sorry… I guess it's that Cobra guy's Poison… Ehe…" Crash.

Carla repeated Happy's action, as she'd been hit a few times by their foe. Luckily for Wendy, though, she wasn't affected by Nirvana's 'subtle' movements.

"Crap… this thing's a vehicle…" Natsu whined as he prepared to lose his lunch. His eyes panned up when he saw Cobra's shadow looming over him.

"Y-You…" Cobra seethed, raising an arm up and coating his hand in Poison Dragon Slayer Magic. "I'll end you… for the honor of the Six Demons…!"

"SKY DRAGON'S ROAR!" Wendy nailed the maroon-haired man from the side, getting him to curse and smash into a building. When he turned a glare on her, she glared right back at him, quite unlike her timid self.

"I won't let you hurt my Big Brother!"

Despite Wendy's determination, Cobra tried to get up again, but was blasted in the chest by Brain, who had finally come down to their level.

"That's enough, Cobra, you may stand down."

"Brain… but why?! Are you mad?!" Cobra asked in bewilderment, clutching at his fresh wound.

"You performed extraordinarily well… but it is time for you to rest." Brain told him calmly, before ridiculing the Dragon Slayer in his thoughts. _'Hmhm… What good is a false Dragon Slayer to me? Especially one that can be beaten by one of the official Guilds? You're pathetic.'_

Out loud, Brain continued his taunting.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did you hear that?" Brain burst into malevolent laughter. Cobra seethed.

"How DARE you! You TRAITOR…!" Cobra screamed, tears glistening in his eyes, before falling forward and whispering under his breath. "All I ever wanted… my only prayer… was to hear the voice of my one, true friend… Cubelios…"

Cobra held his hand up to the giant snake that hovered over him and hissed softly in his ear as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Natsu, who was angered at seeing such a display, pushed through his motion sickness to confront Brain.

"He's gone… How could you do that to him?! He was your friend!"

Brain rolled his eyes at Natsu's impassioned speech.

"With the power at my disposal, I will have no problem gathering friends that will much better serve me! Nirvana will make it so!"

"You don't make friends through power and intimidation…!" Natsu growled. "All you get are puppets!"

"You shouldn't make such a fuss… After all, your power is what I admire about you the most! To think, a third of Oracion Seis has fallen at your hands! It would do me good to have a friend like you! Or to use your terminology… to have you as my puppet…"

"You can't!" Wendy cried as she tried to fend the old man off with a Sky Dragon Wing Attack. Unfortunately for her, Brain sidestepped it and started walking over to the pair of Dragon Slayers.

"Now, now, Wendy… You are the Maiden of the Sky. With your healing abilities, you, too, will be a wonderful addition!" However, before he could lay a hand on her, a destructive slash sent him crashing into the same building as Cobra, destroying even more of the wall. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to see through the dust cloud. "What was that…?"

"Natsu! Wendy!" Kagura called out as she and Simon came running up to the duo. Both Dragon Slayers had never been so happy to see the Mikazuchi siblings.

"Guys! Great that ya made it!" Natsu beamed in spite of his motion sickness. "We just took down another one of these bastards, so there's only a few of 'em left now!"

Simon noticed the downed Cobra, and he nodded his head in understanding.

"I see. Well, Hoteye – or rather, Richard, I should say – has switched over to our side, and he is in the process of battling Midnight. At most, there are only three members left to deal with – Midnight, Brain, and possibly Racer."

Brain narrowed his eyes as they so casually brought up Hoteye's betrayal. This meant that he and Midnight had to win at all costs. Otherwise…

"Then let's take care of one of those despicable cowards right here…" Kagura declared as she prepared to attack Brain once again with her sheathed sword.

"Oh, please! You took me by surprise, and that gives you confidence?! Your arrogance shall be your downfall!" Brain mockingly laughed before unleashing Dark Capriccio on the girl. She avoided it, thankfully, through her agility, but Brain was now back on his feet and demonstrating that he could keep up with her.

Simon was all prepared to help Natsu retreat, should he need to recover from his battle with Cobra… but the Dragon Slayer was now back on his feet, if not a bit shakily, and looking ready to take down the leader of their foes. Yet before Natsu could even ask Happy to give him a lift to keep him off the vehicle-on-autopilot, Hibiki's Archive rang through his mind, and by proxy Simon picked up on it.

 _'You don't really have the time for that, Natsu! Erza's somewhere on Nirvana, and you need to get to her before she reaches one of the Oracion Seis!'_

 _'Hibiki?! What are you doin' in my head?'_ Natsu asked in bewilderment. He never really got the explanation last time. His face scrunched up in confusion. _'And waddya mean I gotta get to Erza? You said somethin' was up with her earlier, but you never really said!'_

Hibiki's explanation did not ease his troubled mind.

 _'Nirvana has swapped her natures, Natsu. I have a feeling you know that Jellal's death deeply affected her. Well, all that grief, all that anger aimed at the Oracion Seis… Nirvana has corrupted her. She's determined to kill every last one of them in order to avenge Jellal. Doesn't matter if only one of them did the killing – they're all guilty as far as the darkness in her heart is concerned.'_

Natsu gritted his teeth as Hibiki brought this up… like he had any right to talk about it so plainly… Of course he knew how affected she was by Jellal's death; he had let her come along _because_ she was so emotionally invested in this. Erza needed closure, and he had complete faith that she could keep it together on this mission. And now… Hibiki was telling him that this bigass city had used its Magic to warp her into something she wasn't?!

 _'What about Brain? I can't just leave Simon, Kagura, 'n Wendy to fight Brain! He's no pushover!'_

 _'Just leave it to us, Natsu, we'll back them up.'_ Hibiki told him in confidence before Natsu saw the Magical Bomber Christina flying overhead. Moments later, Jura, Gajeel, Lyon, Sherry, and oddly enough, Angel, were down on the surface of Nirvana with them. The pink-head clenched his fists in determination, and knew that Wendy 'n the others would be okay in that moment. _'Only you can bring Erza back, Natsu. It takes someone very personal to the darkness that she's struggling with to break her out of it, and you don't get much more personal than her husband. You can do it, I know you can!'_

"Yeah… Thanks, Hibiki." Natsu punched his open palm before calling over Happy and guiding him as he followed Erza's scent. She was definitely on Nirvana, and relatively close, too…

* * *

"The time has come to scatter the petals of the Oracion Seis… into the wind!" Richard declared dramatically as he hovered over the defeated form of Midnight. It had been a heated battle, but in the end, it had come down to the stronger ideology. … Or at least, that's what the Earth mage had chalked it up to.

"You really are pitiful…" Midnight murmured as he rose again and overwhelmingly attacked Richard, seemingly pulling him in multiple directions with his Magic. Richard didn't stand a chance as he screamed in agony and collapsed from the pain, defeated. "Because you were such a loyal comrade before now… I will extol you. You deserve that much. … By the way, you can come out now."

On cue, Erza Scarlet came out into the open, eyes brimming with hatred for him. Strange. She was much different from the Wizards that had been tagging along with the traitor…

"You would turn on a comrade?" Erza spoke revoltingly, slightly elevating Midnight's curiosity.

"To be more accurate, he turned on me. Nirvana supposedly turned him from a moneygrubber to a fool who prattled on about the 'wonders of love'. He was annoying either way." Midnight idly played with a braided strand of hair. "Now… I suppose you are here to fight me next? The 'peerless' Titania…"

Erza quivered in unbridled fury before Requipping a dozen hovering blades that were immediately sent the raven-haired man's way. Midnight sneered and demonstrated what a foolish mistake that was, as he sent the swords back in her direction. Erza deflected them with two blades that she held, but soon after the barrage stopped, Midnight sneered again and twisted her Flight Armor around her like it was a constrictor.

"That's better! Sing me a lullaby of pain and torment!" Midnight cackled while the redhead screamed loudly. "Hehe! Nothing wets my appetite like tortured screams!"

Using her free arm, Erza threw a sword aimed at his head while Midnight was delighting in her agony. The raven-haired man effortlessly tilted his head until it flew right past him.

"Impressive, but futile! Spiral Pain!" He conjured a fierce tornado around her even as she finally Requipped out of her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Down to her white blouse and blue skirt, Erza collapsed to the ground and gave one last yelp of pain as she hit the stone floor. "What's this? You can't die on me now. I haven't finished playing with you yet! I need entertainment, at least until we reach Fairy Tail!"

Erza painfully lifted her head off the ground as she glared darkly at her foe. Fairy Tail…? Jellal's death wasn't enough for them, so they had to take away her Guild, too?

"How… have we earned that honor…?" She growled through gritted teeth.

Midnight shrugged his shoulders uncaringly and spread out his arms.

"Well, you _were_ the ones to take the Maiden of the Sky from her original Guild, Cait Shelter. In the process, you unveiled a secret that not even father knew about – Cait Shelter being nothing but a fading memory. We assumed they were actual descendants of the Nirvits, but thanks for revealing they were just a bunch of ghosts entertaining a child. You saved us a lot of legwork… both metaphorically _and_ literally." He smirked derisively down at the redhead. Midnight was of course referring to the distance between the Worth Woodsea and Cait Shelter; there were multiple Guilds in-between, but now they could start off with the purported strongest in Fiore.

Fairy Tail.

With her enemy's full malevolence finally laid bare, Erza furiously stood back up and donned her Robe of Yuen. A spear was now her main weapon.

"You… will _never_ lay your hand on Fairy Tail!" Erza said with clear determination. Though that sounded much like the Erza of old, this one had a much different meaning behind her words. 'Never' was not an exaggeration; Erza was quite literal in promising Midnight this.

"Heh. Looks like I get my real fight after all." Midnight had a similar look of bloodlust in his eyes.

… He wasn't amused a few moments later when, after a furious assault of swinging her spear at him multiple times, she finally landed a hit on him and sent him careening into a wall.

"There are _two_." Erza held up two fingers. "Two crucial weaknesses in your Reflector Magic. The first is that you cannot bend and twist the human body… otherwise you would have done so by now, instead of twisting my Armor."

Midnight grunted as he got back up and stepped sluggishly toward her.

"Maybe… But why would it matter?" Midnight asked cruelly as he attempted to constrict her with her Robe of Yuen next. "I can use all those lovely clothes you wear to squeeze you until you pop! As fast or slowly as I want."

"That's one weakness. There's one more…" Erza muttered as she Requipped dozens of sword above Midnight before raining them all down on him. It soon became apparent that he could not dodge them all, and he cried out as he crashed to the ground. "While you were twisting my Armor earlier, you dodged my sword. Why didn't you bend its trajectory instead? It's because you're only able to control one space at a time. Either the space surrounding your enemy or yourself, but not both at once. So at this point, you're practically defenseless!"

It was eerie how she could sound so calm even as Midnight bent and twisted her Robe around her. And a moment later, Midnight found out why that was, as she miraculously undid his attack.

"What's more, this is my Robe of Yuen. By far the most elastic in my collection, and therefore immune to your Reflector Magic. I suppose you could consider this Armor a third weakness." Erza smirked darkly as she Requipped a blade into her hand and began walking toward him. She was done gloating – now was the time to end this fight and move onto the next one.

Midnight pounded the ground in frustration.

"No, no, NO! It's too late!" And then, to Erza's slight confusion, he began to laugh even as she drew nearer. "You missed your only chance to rest in peace… You should've let me beat you before midnight."

Erza halted in her footsteps as a bell began to ominously toll. Midnight stood back up as a Magical Circle appeared above him, transforming him into a monster before her very eyes.

"When the clock strikes midnight, my powers reach their terrifying peak!" Midnight cackled and grew in size, until he towered over Erza in a grotesque form as he once more insisted. "You could've prevented this from happening…"

The monster then began gathering Dark Magical Energy in the form of an orb before bringing it crashing down on Erza and sending her flying. It didn't stop with physical torment; soon Midnight began tormenting her emotions as well. He plainly revealed that he was a slave of the Tower of Heaven just like she was; and also similarly, he suffered at the hands of Jellal.

He shrank Erza down to her child form, and when she moved to attack him again, she instead cut down clay formations of Grandpa Rob and Jellal. The redhead cried out in anguish and swiped at him again, but this time she was devastated to discover that she had cleaved _Natsu_ in two… This was the moment when she truly snapped, and her artificial eye allowed her to see through the illusion. And with this clarity, Erza ran right by him with her sword, slashing his side and instantly shattering the illusion and making him collapse for good.

"Another weakness would be not knowing I'm immune to Visual Magic." Erza declared gravely.

Midnight reached for the sky with both of his hands.

"No… I-I've _lost_ …! But I'm the strongest one! I'm the ultimate member of the Oracion Seis! Even stronger than my father! No one could touch me!" He sobbed. "I'm supposed to be the greatest Wizard… that's ever lived…"

"Someone who can mock the suffering of others so callously has a very long way to go to achieve greatness." Erza told him coldly.

Midnight's hands shook as he continued to hold them up.

"All I ever wanted… My prayer… My prayer was to _finally_ find a quiet place and sleep in peace… F-Father…"

With these words, Midnight finally faded to unconsciousness. Erza gripped her sword firmly and strode over to her fallen foe. He was still breathing, so the fight wasn't truly 'finished'. The redhead coldly raised her sword high above her head and prepared to impale the raven-haired man through the heart.

"Oh, I'll give you rest… You can rest for eternity for all I care. This is for everyone that you've hurt and murdered in cold blood…!" Erza screamed this last bit as she swung the blade, tip down, and steeled herself for the gruesome conclusion.

To her displeasure, the end never came. With Happy flying him and flames on his feet, Natsu flew forward with a burst of speed and plowed into her, uncaring if he hurt her a little.

"ERZAAA!" The Dragon Slayer cried out as they wound up as a heap on the ground, both breathing rather heavily. He looked over at the defeated Midnight and was relieved to discover the steady falling and rising of his chest. "Thank goodness…"

"Get _off_ of me, Natsu!" Erza glared coldly up at him. "That man is just the first one that needs to pay!"

Natsu looked down at her with a serious expression.

"Erza. You're not thinking clearly. Do you _really_ think killing these guys is the answer? You're no better than they are if you go through with this!"

Erza firmly shook her head in frustration.

"I don't _care_! They killed Jellal when he was at his most vulnerable, and they've hurt _so many more people_!" The redhead roared as she shoved Natsu off of her and picked up her blade again. Natsu proved to be just as tenacious as he tackled her from behind.

"I won't let you, Erza! You've worked too hard to become just some killer! You're _better_ than this!" Again, he found himself shoved off of his wife as she stormed over to Midnight. Igniting his feet again, Natsu rocketed forward and kicked the sword out of her hands. Desperately, he flung her over to a wall so as to put more distance between her and her 'prey'. "Erza, you're always getting on my case about not thinkin' with my head! Well, now it's my turn, damn it! If you don't care about what killing in cold blood will do to you, then think about what it'll do to me! To Wendy! Simon, Kagura, Milliana, _everyone at Fairy Tail_! Hell, think about the kinda effect it'll have on our kid!"

He nodded firmly as the redhead seemed to freeze at that.

"That's right! Our unborn kid! Not only will you not get to raise him or her, you'll have to explain to them later why you can't be a family with us! I don't want that to happen, damn it!"

Erza balled her hands into fists as they shook. Natsu raised a good point, but even so…

"I'm… I'm only protecting them! Protecting _everyone_!" She replied hysterically as she got back up. "Damn it, just let me do this one thing! They don't even deserve to live, Natsu!"

Natsu finally faltered in his energy as she just continued insisting on this path. He knew that Nirvana had made her evil or whatever, and that she could be just as stubborn as him… But damn it, this was like dealing with an entirely different Erza.

"They won't have much of a life if they're locked away in jail cells, Erza…"

"That's not enough!" Erza insisted heatedly. "Even if you physically stop me today, I _will_ end them, Natsu! The blood of their countless victims call for vengeance!"

Natsu dropped his hands tiredly as she brought this up. How about that? Erza is perhaps the only person in the world that can make him tired with just a few words. But it wasn't how stubborn she was being here; it was the thought of having to constantly keep an eye on her if they couldn't return her to normal… To have to sleep with one eye open every day for the rest of his life, just so she wouldn't try to carry out her promise.

Nirvana had made her into this. Maybe this was an evil that she was keeping at bay deep in her heart, but this damn Magical city thing had inverted his Erza… Made her accept this part of her so completely. She was never going to stop.

Unless…

"… If this is how you truly feel, Erza, then _I'll_ do it." The pink-head noticed Erza's look change into one of shock, and he nodded quite grimly in confirmation that what she heard was correct. "I know I can't get through to you anymore. So to stop you… I'll fucking do what you want most of all. I'll kill these guys… you'll get your vengeance… and most importantly, you'll get to raise our kid."

Erza's shock only grew as Natsu continued to explain in detail what he would be doing. But he didn't let her absorb his words completely; he went and picked up the blade she was using, and he walked over to Midnight with the most serious expression she had seen on his face. Admittedly, a part of her was thrilled that he was going through with it. He was finally listening for once.

But… something wasn't right as she continued to watch in neutral fascination. Her heart was beating at an uncontrollable rate. Against her will, various memories flashed through her mind – memories of the distant past with Natsu, more recent memories, and even memories of their future… not just of the two of them, but of their children. Yes – children as in plural. Her eyes were fogging up for some bizarre reason. And… something wet was trailing down her cheek… Raising her bare hand up, Erza could see…

 _'T-Tears…?'_ Erza's eyes widened as she realized Natsu had continued with his movements while she had been so lost in thought. They were rigid, but she could tell that he was indeed going to go through with his promise. As he held the sword up high, pointed tip down… The scarlet knight moved out of pure instinct, with a speed that she didn't know she had.

She feared she wouldn't make it. But just as the pointed tip was about to pierce through the first layer of skin, Erza violently tackled Natsu to the ground and laid atop him, panting again. Tears were still flowing from _both_ of her eyes as she looked down at him with immense sadness. What in the world had he been _thinking_ …?

"Y-You i-idiot…" Erza emotionally slapped him across the face before giving him a reproving glare. She balled his vest into her fists and lightly pounded his chest. Shaking her head as those wonderful images of past, present, and future wouldn't leave her mind, she uttered quietly, "It doesn't matter anymore… You were… right… I would rather have a family than the satisfaction of revenge. It's just not worth it…"

In that moment, a darkness seemed to leave Erza physically, evaporating into thin air. Natsu smiled as her eyes regained the warmth that he knew so well and loved so much. He raised a hand to her cheek softly and gave a smile that she positively melted at the sight of.

"Glad you're back, Erza… I missed ya." He chuckled as she gave a small pout.

"Shut up, and c'mere." She growled lightly before lifting his head halfway so she could kiss him. As they passionately kissed, Natsu maneuvered himself so he was sitting up and hugging her waist while she was still straddling him. A bit uncomfortable at first, but it wasn't the first time he'd been in that position. He supposed Nirvana's surface was just too hard… and moving… Ugh…

It really was great to have Erza back. These Oracion Seis guys didn't stand a chance now!

* * *

 **Author's Note: … IT'S SO FLUFFY! Ahhh, but it felt so good to write that conclusion. Evil Erza was just so hard to write. I hope you guys are happy with the double-length chapter, 'cause this might be it until I get through the semester in a little over a week… Next time we bring a conclusion to the Oracion Seis Arc for the main AU. I already got it all outlined 'n everything.**

 **Friendly reminder – the poll for pairings for Team Mira is still up. I'll keep mum about the results so far, but I highly advise anyone who wants to have a say go vote now… 'Cause when the next chap is posted, I'll probably take it down, if only to switch over to the Gajeel poll. I will say not too many have voted; but I guess a lot of you don't really care one way or the other… Or maybe you do, and don't read the ANs. Meh. Sorry, guys. :P**


	22. Chapter 22

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

"You sure you're okay?" Natsu asked Erza as she flew them back to the others in her Black Wing Armor. The redhead wanted to give the blue tomcat some time to recover, and Richard was kind enough to carry Midnight for them, after they managed to wake him up. "Even if you weren't yourself, you still fought a member of the Oracion Seis."

"I could ask you the same thing." Erza smiled down at him, as she was holding him up by the arms; the Black Wing Armor didn't allow him to piggyback. "You took down Cobra as well as Angel, right? I would think _you_ would be fatigued by now."

"Nah, I've totally got enough energy for the boss fight! Like I said, you guys just handle the Lacrimas powering this thing, and I'll defeat Zero!" Natsu assured his wife with a grin.

At being reminded of the news they received from Hibiki, Erza lost all levity. A lot happened while Natsu helped her through her… issues. Apparently, Brain became desperate when he somehow became aware of Midnight's defeat; he hadn't quite resorted to begging per se, but he rather arrogantly asserted that defeating him at this stage in the game was _highly_ inadvisable. Well, Jura called his bluff and managed to overcome him rather admirably.

Who would've thought that Brain had a second personality lurking around inside him? Zero was the true leader of Oracion Seis, and he had no plans to carry out Brain's meticulous plans; all he craved was destruction. At Zero's emergence, Jura had called for a tactical retreat while he stayed behind to fend the madman off for as long as he could. Natsu's fellow Wizard Saint was holding up, if barely, but they really needed to get Natsu over to that battle. While Zero was distracted, Hibiki was formulating a plan to deal with Nirvana itself, meticulously going through Archive to find the answer.

The answer was that they needed to destroy six Lacrimas powering the legs as they absorbed energy from the earth. Gajeel, Lyon, Wendy, and Ichiya (who had only recently returned to join the fight) were already en route to four of the Lacrimas. The retreat from Zero had been anything but clean, as the madman had demonstrated just how much his powers had intensified. Sherry and Kagura were wounded, Eve and Ren were still roughed up from their fight with Midnight (Ichiya was just too stubborn for his own good, and using a pole to steady himself on the way to his designated Lacrima), Angel didn't have any destructive Magic without her Gate Keys, and Simon didn't like leaving the Alliance members on the Magical Bomber Christina defenseless. Obviously, they were in dire need of Natsu, Erza, and Richard; Natsu to keep fighting Zero, and Erza and Richard to take down the remaining two Lacrimas.

Erza was not a fan of leaving Natsu to fight a man that could overwhelm a Wizard like Jura. Even if the pink-head were in peak condition (and he really wasn't, not now), she would still feel vaguely uncomfortable leaving him without backup. This seemed a lot more dangerous than fighting Jellal, or even Jose Porta.

"Natsu…" The scarlet knight trailed off uncertainly and chewed on her bottom lip. "Please… be careful. I have faith you can do it, just don't get careless."

Natsu shot her one more disarming grin before nodding his head.

"I promise I'll make it back in one piece. I haven't shown off all my moves, y'know! I wanna see if I can pull _that_ off!"

Erza's brow furrowed as he brought that up.

"Natsu, your track record with that has been… abysmal. You've only been practicing it a couple of years; give it some more time before you try it in a real battle."

"I've got nothin' to lose by tryin'! Sure, I had lots of failures, but I managed to pull it off once or twice without any special stuff. I definitely feel like I've been making progress with it lately; only a matter of time before I bust it out for _all_ the serious fights!" The pink-head cackled, to which Erza shook her head. She sincerely doubted it would ever get to that point – that particular ability wasn't like training in his Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode. Natsu could consistently call on Lightning Magic after a lot of training, but it would be a long time before _that_ became something to rely on… They simply didn't know enough about it to know what Natsu specifically had to do to unleash it at will. All they knew for sure was that it was one of the most powerful abilities that a Dragon Slayer had at their disposal, and that if Natsu ate powerful Magical substances, it was much easier to unleash…

Dragon Force. An enigma that even had Erza, who prided herself on thoroughly studying any Magics that she or her husband could wield, stumped. Of course Dragon Slayer Magic wasn't something that Erza could learn about from any old scroll, but she had become surprisingly good at drawing out Natsu's memories of training under Igneel with astonishing clarity. A lot of things Igneel had to say went over the Pyro's head while he was a little boy, yet the redhead was able to put it into context for him with enough information – it wasn't like Natsu had to have an eclectic memory. Frankly, there were a lot of gaps because the pink-head would drone out Igneel's verbal lectures, while maximizing his attention for physical training. But what Natsu could remember from the verbal stuff, you better bet that Erza forced him to remember everything that he could. It might've been akin to getting blood from a stone, but every little nugget of knowledge proved useful and insightful, in the scarlet knight's eyes.

If only Igneel had expounded on Dragon Force further. Despite Natsu's keen interest in such an 'advanced' ability, much of what Igneel had to say about it Natsu couldn't comprehend so early on, and as a consequence of that, he couldn't really word a lot of what was said to Erza. He likened it to 'Dragon Slayer jargon' – Erza did fairly well translating much of what Natsu could tell her about the basics and some intermediate stuff, but the moment he tried talking about Dragon Force… Wow.

The pair was snapped out of their thoughts when a huge explosion of Magical Energy rocked the nearby area. As the three of them and Happy came to a stop, Richard confirmed all of their suspicions with his Heaven's Gaze.

"Zero and the Wizard Saint Jura are just up ahead, oh yeah! You'd better hurry – Jura looks to be on his last legs…"

Erza dropped Natsu off on a roof, and the Dragon Slayer grinned at his friends who had come with him this far.

"Well, we'd better part ways here. I don't want ya to get caught up in all this; just take down those Lacrima things before we reach Fairy Tail!" Specifically turning to Happy, Natsu offered an apologetic smile. "You'd better stay out of it, too, bud. Take Midnight to Christina for Hibiki, 'kay?"

"Aye!" The blue tomcat agreed to do this much – debating whether he should come back later to help his best friend. He accepted the unconscious member of Oracion Seis from Richard before flying away to find the Magical Bomber.

"Come back safe, Natsu." Erza told him one last time, mustering a smirk. "Kick his ass. For all of us."

"Hehe! One miracle, comin' up!" Natsu gave her a thumb's up and shared one last look with her before running off to the battle.

"How wonderful! The bonds of marriage are so tight, nothing could sever them! OH YEAH!"

Erza cracked a small grin at Richard's exuberance before flying off to find the Lacrima that Hibiki left her directions to get to. Richard similarly burrowed into the floor of Nirvana to get to his Lacrima in time. They had less than ten minutes before Nirvana reached Magnolia… every second counted.

* * *

"Is _this_ the extent of the power of a Wizard Saint?! Brain should be ashamed that he lost to you!" Zero roared as he approached the fallen Jura and started stomping him into the ground. With each strike, the ground shook just a little. "I can't let those foolish teammates of yours destroy Nirvana, so I will have to make your death quick and go to defend a Lacrima… What a giant waste of time you were! Pitiful!"

Jura winced as he struggled to remain conscious. This man… was truly a monster. Against Brain, he had been able to overwhelm the leader of Oracion Seis, but against Zero… it was a losing battle.

"Lightning Fire Dragon… ROAR!"

Then out of nowhere, a massive beam of destructive flames and lightning smashed into Jura's tormentor and carried him all the way to the base level of the Royal Throne tower and wound up decimating it as the beam sharply veered right and cleanly cut it at the base.

"You alright, Jura?!" Natsu asked as he ran up to the Lamia Scale mage and knelt down to his level.

"Natsu…" The bald man mumbled as he slowly accepted the pink-head's hand to help him up. Both of their attentions were drawn to the Royal Throne tower as its ruins came crashing to the ground before toppling in the direction opposite them, crumbling into many pieces on its way down. Jura breathed raggedly as he stared at Natsu. "Do not underestimate that man even for a second, Natsu… I can't fight him anymore, so I will just leave him in your capable hands."

"That was my plan from the start." Natsu nodded sharply before his eyes widened and he moved fast to intercept the speeding Dark mage that came back to them like a bullet. Damn. He'd barely put in enough power to evenly match Zero; the guy hit like a friggin' train!

"HAHAHA! That was quite the move, brat!" Zero boomingly laughed as he and Natsu stood there, matching one another in sheer strength. "Brain was right to try and recruit you… All of that destructive power! You'd better be far from done, because I crave a real fight!"

"Heh! You gotta wonder who's gonna make it out of this alive, me or you!" Natsu matched the Dark mage's smirk. "'Cause I'll give you your fight! You just worry about what comes outta Pandora's Box!"

Zero moved to punch him with his free arm, but Natsu snapped his legs forward and fired off a stream of flames that sent the Dark mage skidding backward from the sheer power they exuded. Yet when the dust settled, Zero was standing there calmly, with his arms behind his back.

"Impressive… Now it's my turn! Dark Capriccio!" Zero called out as he lifted his arm and aimed it at Natsu, firing off a much more powerful version of the Dark Magic attack than he did while wielding Kledoa. Natsu dodged the attack, of course; he was quite thankful that Jura had used his little stalemate with their enemy to find cover and retreat. "As you can see, I'm twice more powerful than Brain…"

In the next moment, he willed another Dark Capriccio to rise up from underneath Natsu to strike him. But it didn't stop there, as he controlled the stream of Dark energy remotely and struck Natsu again after swirling it about in the air; the third time he tried it, Natsu sidestepped the stream of energy, which only caused Zero to cackle in glee. Zero intensified his attack's movements as it submerged in the ground and re-emerged a mere moment later from a random spot around Natsu, repeating this action again and again.

"You were wondering who was going to make it out of this alive?! I think it's obvious it will be ME!"

At last, Natsu became fed up with the game of whack-a-mole, and he stopped Dark Capriccio's momentum on its next arc with a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. He put so much power behind it that the Dark stream of energy dissipated within seconds of Natsu putting up resistance.

"No… It's gonna take more than that to kill me off." Natsu growled as he stood straight and glowered at the Dark mage.

"I must say, I'm surprised you were able to stop a Piercing Spell… You have much more potential than your peer, who ran away like a beaten dog!"

Natsu clenched his fists as the Dark mage dissed Jura so casually.

"Tell me somethin'… You wanted Jellal for something related to this Nirvana hunt. Why'd you have him killed?"

Zero frowned as the Dragon Slayer dredged up what was, for him, ancient history. Even though it had only been a little over a day ago.

"Hmph. That worthless man. Though you will never understand… Circumstances made it so that he could no longer guide the Oracion Seis to Nirvana. We had planned his liberation meticulously, and all we received in the end was a confused amnesiac. Brain was correct in executing that brat; perhaps if we knew of his condition, we would have devoted our energies to unearthing Nirvana sooner… After all, the Oracion Seis had no need for him in the end. And now because of Brain's laziness, the Oracion Seis has been pushed to this extent. What a nuisance."

Natsu gnashed his teeth as the bastard addressed Erza's childhood friend so cruelly, like his life meant nothing… Natsu might have despised the azure-haired mage for hurting Erza and enslaving Simon and the others, but he believed Erza when she claimed he was possessed. There was definitely something off about the guy. And because the Oracion Seis treated that man's life as a nuisance… Erza nearly became something she wasn't! Zero had to pay for these injustices!

"What gives you the right… to decide who lives and who dies?!" Natsu roared as he rocketed forward with flames on his feet as he angrily punched Zero in the stomach, and then threw him into a random wall of a building.

Zero was up in moments, and he angrily sent back another Dark Capriccio attack at an even faster rate of speed. However, Natsu surprisingly deflected the attack as if it were nothing, and the Dragon Slayer once again rushed Zero, delivering a quick succession of punches and kicks that Zero was unable to block. Zero landed a kick on him as a result of the pink-head being so close, but Natsu used his airborne state as a chance to strike Zero's chest with a harsh kick that sent him staggering back. Zero chopped him with his arm, but Natsu was already preparing a Fire Dragon's Roar, and it carried the Dark mage all the way through the building his back was against when Natsu unleashed it.

"So much power…" Zero whispered as he eyed Natsu after getting back up. A golden aura seemed to appear around the Dragon Slayer, steadily taking the form of a dragon behind the pink-head. His eyes widened in realization. "It couldn't be… is this Dragon Force?!"

Natsu stared down at his arms as they gave off that golden aura. He smirked when he realized that he'd once again got that power to come out; it had to be somehow tied to the emotions he was feeling at the moment – that, and having gone through painstaking training to discover just how to do it. It was helluva lot harder without some crazy strong Magical source in his belly…

"Whoa! I feel like twice or three times as powerful! Hehe! I told Erza I could do it if I just tried!" Natsu chuckled. Though honestly, he doubted he was anywhere near 'mastering' it.

"I never thought you'd have it… Dragon Force is the final form of Dragon Slayer Magic! From what I understand, it gives the Slayer destructive power comparable to that of the most formidable Dragon!" Zero smirked darkly. "I'm intrigued! So show me!"

"You sure you want me to do that?!" Natsu glared at the Dark mage.

"Yes! Let's see the Dragon's power!"

"Alright, but I warned ya!" Natsu charged straight through the hole in the building that Zero had created and slammed right into the evil man, who simply conjured some sort of shield to protect him from each strike that Natsu tried to deliver.

Zero smirked again as another brief lull came to their battle.

"You're no match for Dark Gravity!" The man sneered and slammed his hands onto the ground, making it crumble beneath Natsu's feet and creating a giant hole. Zero stared down at the Dragon Slayer as he came to rest at some lower level of Nirvana. "Don't tell me I already defeated the 'mighty' Dragon Slayer!"

Zero lunged down to further attack Natsu; not even halfway down, he unleashed a Dark Rondo that Natsu was thankfully able to dodge in time, as he carefully maneuvered away from the hole that revealed forests below. As Natsu slid along the ground, Zero came after him with a whip form of Dark Capriccio – termed Zero Slash. Natsu growled as he dodged that as well, and unleashed a powerful Fire Dragon's Roar on Zero, which the Dark mage ultimately parted like a veritable sea.

Zero continued his charge and lunged into the air before coming down with a fist coated in powerful Dark Magic; deciding he was tired of playing defense, Natsu sought to return to offense as he met Zero's punch with a Lightning-coated fist, and then with great agility brought up his legs again to reinforce his counterattack with jets of flames.

Zero snarled when they parted again on equal terms, and he proceeded to his next attacks.

"Dark Delete!" The man roared as he sent orbs of Dark Magic that followed Natsu closely as he tried to outrun them; ultimately, the Dragon Slayer failed, and the orbs overcame him violently.

Yet it didn't matter, in the end. When the dust settled, Natsu's skin was revealed to have tough scales on it – another useful side effect of Dragon Force, apparently. Zero grunted in annoyance and sent another Dark Capriccio at Natsu, who blocked it with another Fire Dragon's Iron Fist. The Dark mage was quite shocked when Natsu immediately followed it up with a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame attack. As Zero planned to walk through it yet again, Natsu came at him through the chaos and smashed him in the face with a Lightning-coated fist. Zero subsequently went smashing into a wall as a result.

"Do ya know why you're gonna lose today…?" Natsu asked his enemy rhetorically as he stood there calmly, prepared to counterattack at a moment's notice. "It's 'cause all your puppets were beaten or changed their hearts. You're all alone, while I… can hear every one of my friends calling out to me loud and clear! I can't give up the fight because I promised I would _take you down_. Everyone else can handle Nirvana; I have no doubt about that. Every one of my friends! _They're_ the reason I can keep going!"

Zero sneered as he picked himself up again. All this talk of camaraderie was such a waste of time! He was going to crush the Dragon Slayer here and then he would proceed to destroy every last one of these pitiful Guilds for daring to defy him… This Wizard Saint had done admirably to endure this much, but playtime was over…

* * *

Simon placed a hand on Kagura consolingly as she sat on the floor of the control room of Christina. It was his fault she'd been injured in their retreat; a large piece of rubble would have crushed him, but Kagura acted quickly and shattered it, injuring herself in the process, as there was too much flying around.

"You going to be okay?"

"I'll be… fine." Kagura mumbled as she looked downtrodden. She wanted to be out there, destroying one of the six Lacrimas. Instead, she was forced to rely on Gajeel, Lyon, Wendy, Ichiya, Erza, and Richard to do what she could not in her current state. Kagura felt horrible, as she hadn't really done anything on this crucial mission. She couldn't defeat Richard when he was evil, and they were very, very lucky that Nirvana changed him for the better… Otherwise, she and Simon would have…

Ugh. Kagura just felt so useless. So much for taking the weight off of Erza's shoulders.

"Hey… it'll be okay." Simon assured her, knowing Kagura well enough that she was berating herself. "These kinds of missions take time to train for. I'm sure when this is all over, Erza will be happy to help train with you – and maybe Natsu will, too. You're still one of the most powerful mages of this Alliance, Kagura; you're not weak for relying on the others."

"Simon…" Kagura murmured as she looked up into her big brother's eyes. She accepted his embrace when he knelt down, and lightly cried into his shoulder. _'Next time… Next time I will do my part…!'_

Each of the Trimens smiled at the tender moment between siblings. Sherry was similarly hovering over Jura and making sure he was fine. And the unconscious bodies of Cobra, Racer, and Midnight were set against a far wall. Happy had immediately left after delivering Midnight to them, as he wanted to be there for Erza, seeing as how Natsu had his hands full with Zero, and Carla had Wendy's back.

"It looks like it's almost time…" Eve remarked as he stared at Archive's timer. Three minutes until Nirvana reached Magnolia. "Do you think everyone's in position yet?"

"No…" Hibiki shook his head. "But they're close. I told them all to strike the Lacrimas at one minute remaining, so they have a little time left."

Ren crossed his arms as he looked out at the ancient city through the windows.

"I'm more worried about Angel… How the hell did we miss her slipping out?"

Hibiki grinned nervously as the silver-haired Celestial mage was brought up. He knew exactly why she'd left; he even helped her out because he felt so bad. The former Dark mage wanted to be 'useful' just one time – didn't matter if she lacked any noticeable Magic without her Gate Keys. Hibiki just hoped… that it wouldn't end in tragedy…

* * *

It was cutting it pretty close, but each member of the Alliance that set out for the Lacrimas had reached their targets, and were now preparing their best attacks to destroy the giant crystals. Gajeel stood at the first Lacrima with crossed arms as the timer ticked down to a minute and thirty seconds.

"Salamander… You'd better not get your ass handed to you by Brain. _I_ should be the only one able to manage that feat." The Iron Dragon Slayer cockily remarked as he prepared to unleash an Iron Dragon's Roar. Never mind the fact that he'd gotten beaten by both Mira and Laxus, and hadn't quite found ways to beat _them_ yet…

At the second Lacrima, Lyon prepared his Ice Make: Ape.

"Gray… You should be ashamed you weren't picked for this momentous mission. I might have failed to destroy Deliora, but this here… is where I start to make good on my vow. I will surpass Ur yet one day…!"

At the third Lacrima, Wendy had accepted that she needed to summon her courage, and so she was gathering as much Sky Dragon Magic as she could.

"Grandeeney, please lend me your strength…" Wendy whispered, a Magical aura surrounding her.

 _'Wendy… I know you can do it if you just stay focused…!'_ Carla thought as she observed the girl proudly.

At the fourth Lacrima, Ichiya had unleashed some of his 'Parfum' on himself, granting him muscles and a body totally unlike his usual self.

"Power Parfuuum…! To the maaax…!" Ichiya roared, ready to smash his Lacrima.

At the fifth Lacrima, Erza Requipped a buster blade into her hands while still wearing her Black Wing Armor. It was nearly time.

"Here we go…!"

Happy grinned widely as the Requip mage was ready to go all-out.

At the sixth Lacrima, Richard prepared to soften the floor and use it to smash into the crystal.

"Wally… I will protect you! I had lost my way in my desperate search for you, but now my eyes are wide open! Oh yeah!"

Finally, Natsu and Zero were preparing their final moves as they squared off with one another. Zero had thick Dark Magic coating his hands as he moved them around, while Natsu surged forward with the powerful golden aura of Dragon Force surrounding him once more.

"History will come to an end before my eyes… a new era of nothingness shall be ushered in!" Zero cackled as his ultimate attack was ready to eliminate the Fire Dragon Slayer from existence. "Genesis…!"

"Sorry, pal, but I don't need to get in close for this!" Natsu smirked as one hand was coated in flames, while the other in lightning. He ceased his advance and brought his hands together, generating a devastating vortex that Dragon Force _greatly_ enhanced. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"

"… Zero!" The leader of Oracion Seis cried out as the dark green energy transformed into malevolent purple spirits that wailed around him and surged forward at Zero's command. "Consume this man's soul! Eradicate him from existence!"

Unfortunately for Zero, even his mightiest Magic fell to Natsu's Dragon Force enhanced attack. On physical contact with the violent vortex of flames and lightning, the spirits seemed to evaporated into nothingness. Not a single one escaped eradication. Zero screamed out in fury as he spread out his arms in the face of such destruction. His shield would do nothing to impede this… _magnificent_ epitome of destruction.

"This boy is a _true_ Dragon Slayer…!" Zero let out as the attack struck true, suddenly curving upward as it violently smashed him through the ceiling until he burst through the surface of Nirvana again and continued his upward trajectory far into the sky. At about this time, Gajeel, Lyon, Wendy, Ichiya, Erza, and Richard smashed their Lacrimas. With the simultaneous destruction, they couldn't regenerate one another, and heavy damage was instantly done to the structure of Nirvana all over.

"Piece of cake." Gajeel smirked as he could feel Nirvana falling apart all around him.

"I suppose this is our victory…" Lyon murmured.

"I'm so proud of you, Wendy!" Carla congratulated the girl happily.

"Excellent timing!" Ichiya chuckled. "Good job, everyone!"

"Thanks to you… Natsu." Erza smiled gratefully.

"In the end, love triumphed! Oh yeah!" Richard laughed uproariously.

As Natsu emerged on the surface of Nirvana, Zero came crashing back down a few feet away, tingling with electricity and gasping for breath. He wouldn't be getting back up from _that_ move. At least not for a few days…

"I told you, ya bastard… You were gonna lose." Natsu smirked and pumped his fist in the air victoriously. "Oracion Seis has lost! Nirvana is no more! We are the _greatest_!"

Yet as Natsu stood there, he immediately felt a drain to his reserves as he came down from the high that Dragon Force gave him as it dissipated from his body for the time being. He nervously stumbled about as the surface of Nirvana all around him began to crack and fall apart.

"Wh-oa-oa-oa-oah! Crap! I'm all out of Magic energy!" Moments later, the floor beneath him crumbled completely, and Natsu started a descent he thought for sure would be the end for him. But at the last moment, he felt someone latch onto his arm firmly, stopping his fall. "That was a close on!"

Natsu looked up curiously at his savior, only to see the woman he had beaten at the start of this whole war with Oracion Seis.

"I've got you!" Angel assured the pink-head as she struggled to pull him up.

"For now, anyway!" Natsu corrected nervously as Nirvana continued to fall apart all around them. "This spells trouble for you, too, y'know!"

No sooner was this uttered than did both Gemini and Scorpio appear at Angel's sides, shocking both her and Natsu.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Angel asked, slightly terrified of what they might do while she was vulnerable. In fairness, up until this point, she had treated her Celestial Spirits as if they were pets. And not as equals under contract to work with one another.

"Aw, relax, Angel!" Scorpio shot her a disarming grin. "We're here on our own power, so ya won't feel a thing when we leave!"

"We couldn't help but watch as you changed before our very eyes!" One of the Gemini Twins piped up. The other one added, "You're no longer some cruel mistress! We can see that, and wanna talk to you when this is all over!"

Tears pricked at Angel's eyes as it became abundantly clear what was happening. But her focus went back to Natsu as he panicked and tried to shimmy up her arm as the ground became weak beneath Angel.

"C-Can we get me up there first, please?!"

"Yeah, yeah! I've got ya!" Scorpio bent down and helped Angel pull him up to the surface again. Now there was only the issue of how get off of this thing in one piece…

* * *

It'd been a bit touch and go at the end there, but all the Alliance members not on the Magical Bomber had managed to regroup in a clearing a short distance from Magnolia. Ironically, Lyon and Gajeel were the first ones there and had crashed into one another in doing so, kicking up another fight between the two irritated mages. Happy flew in with Erza next, the scarlet knight intimidating the boys into behaving. Carla and Wendy joined them shortly thereafter, and finally…

"I'm so glad you made it out safely, my blazon-haired _beauty_!" Ichiya cried out joyfully as he ran in slow motion toward the scarlet knight, who had since Requipped into her white blouse and blue skirt.

Needless to say, Erza wasn't the only one who freaked out at the buff-looking Ichiya… She was just the most vocal about it as she Requipped a spear into her hands, keeping the weirdo at bay.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Erza demanded with a death glare.

"You heard her! Answer the lady or else!" Lyon added quite faintly.

Ichiya held up his hands peacefully.

"Now, now, calm down! Can't you see I'm your ally?!" Ichiya casually popped open one of his concoctions and bathed in it as he twirled about sensationally. "My Power Parfum has temporarily altered my outward appearance, but deep down… I haven't changed! Hohohohohoho! I'm your beloved Ichiya, and you're my honey! Look at me _sparkle_!"

"Looks like your little admirer's gone full-on stalker!" Happy giggled as a gloomy air surrounded Erza.

"No joke. I'd kick him out of the Alliance, but he's so dependable…" Erza grumbled.

Wendy, Carla, Lyon, and Gajeel were just plain at a loss for words. Ichiya kinda had that effect usually… But this was plain insanity.

Shortly after this, Christina touched down close by, and Jura, Sherry, the Trimens, Kagura, and Simon ran up to the group with relieved faces.

"Thank goodness, everyone's alright!" Jura remarked.

"Erza!" Kagura called out worriedly and ran straight up to her, shamelessly enveloping her in a bear hug. She'd been really worried about the scarlet knight and the baby the whole time.

Simon smiled at the scene and looked around curiously.

"Apparently, not everyone is here just yet…"

"Yeah…" Wendy chewed her bottom lip in slight concern. "We haven't seen Natsu yet…"

"Or Richard." Erza added, looking slightly concerned as well.

"Angel was up there, too, somewhere…" Hibiki mused.

Shortly after everyone started calling out for them, the earth shifted below Happy's feet, and he briefly went flying as Richard emerged with both Natsu and Angel in his arms.

"Love drives us to save our friends, oh yeah!" The Earth mage chuckled as relief instantly fell over everyone.

"There he is." Gajeel muttered somewhat sourly. "Always has to make a flashy entrance…"

He was instantly sucker punched in the face by Kagura, who had since separated herself from Erza. Wendy ran straight up to the pink-head and hugged the stuffing out of him.

"You're okay!"

"'Course! I kicked Zero's ass like I said I would!" Natsu chuckled and returned the bluenette's embrace.

"Those two are with Oracion Seis, aren't they?" Carla asked with furrowed brow. It was Simon that cleared up her confusion.

"That once was true, but Nirvana apparently opened their hearts, and they're on our side now!"

"We're so glad you're okay!" The Trimens chorused as they instantly surrounded Angel 'romantically'. The silver-haired woman twitched and shrank into Richard's side. Honestly, a little bit of her old self was niggling at the back of mind and screaming at her to kick their asses, but… Now wasn't the time for that. Just this once, she would allow these idiots their eccentricities. But if they laid one finger on her…

The Alliance members continued talking on like this for a bit longer before the silhouette of a giant came into view as it stomped through the woods surrounding Magnolia.

"WHO DARES TRY TO ATTACK FAIRY TAIL…?" The giant demanded an answer as he glared down at the Alliance with glowing eyes while he growled lowly.

For those who hadn't seen Makarov's Titan Magic before, they all quivered a bit at the prospect of fighting… _that_ … Really, no one was in any shape to fight, but the Fairy Tail mages in particular didn't look worried.

"Hey, Gramps! Mission accomplished!" Natsu waved up at the giant candidly, as if he were talking to the Old Man at his usual height. Makarov made a humming sound as he recognized his children, amongst others like Jura and Ichiya.

"AH. WELL DONE, MY BOY." The giant declared before shrinking before everyone's eyes. He grinned up at the shocked faces of Alliance members who were not Fairy Tail mages or who had never seen him do that before. He stuck out his hand in greeting. "Nice to meet ya! It looks like you all succeeded, indeed!"

"He's… He's… really that small?" Lyon was at a loss for words. Gajeel smirked at his 'rival's' confusion.

"He loves freaking everyone out like that. Ya get used to it." He chuckled at the Ice Make mage's narrowed eyes. Always nice to have one up on the pretty-boy.

"So, everything is settled, and Nirvana isn't a threat anymore, hmm?" Makarov inquired of everyone vaguely, though he was more addressing Jura and Natsu.

"Indeed. Each member of Oracion Seis has been captured, converted, or at the very least incapacitated." Jura confirmed, his mind already thinking about how they would need to retrieve Brain, who Natsu assured was down for the count.

Makarov stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Converted, you say…?"

"My heart has been opened to the ways of love! Oh yeah!" Richard waved at the stout Guild Master before the Old Man's eyes drifted to Angel, who was still doing her best to shrink from view. Richard stuck up for her too, though. "And Angel has also seen the error of her ways! Nirvana sparked this change in us!"

Makarov hummed thoughtfully before they were joined by a few others still; people that Simon personally called for with his Telepathy, now that they were so close to Magnolia.

"Erzy! You made it back okay!" Milliana chirped as she ran straight up to the redhead and hugged the stuffing out of her. Sho came running up a moment later, a bit winded, but looking at Simon with relief.

"You all made it back… I'm so glad…"

Wally was the last of their little troupe to show up, but his 'lateness' was somewhat understandable. After all, the moment his eyes landed on a certain person, he kinda froze in place and stopped moving. When he did regain feeling in his appendages, he came charging up to everyone and didn't stop until he was a few feet away from…

"Rich! Is that really you?!"

Richard stared dumbfoundedly at the raven-haired man before him. His eyes were wide, his jaw slack. He had _really_ not been expecting this at the end of the day… It didn't seem remotely possible and yet… here he was.

"W… Wally?" Richard whispered in shock as he dropped his arms to his sides, and Angel stepped aside, reading the atmosphere correctly. "Wally Buchanan?!"

Wally nodded in understanding, as he was just as equally shocked with this reunion. All this time, he'd doubted that he'd ever see his only living family member ever again… But lo and behold…

"It's… It's me, Rich. I can't believe… after all this time…" Wally was simply at a loss for words. He wasn't too surprised when his brother shed many tears and enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug. Wally could endure the pain, 'cause it was _nothing_ compared to all the years of separation. The not knowing. The agonizing, terrible… not knowing if they'd see one another again one day.

Those terrible years had finally come to an end.

"All these years… I kept telling myself, if I just stayed positive, a miracle would happen… and lo and behold, it _has_! Oh, Wally!" Richard sobbed and wailed as he rested his head on top of Wally's and just let it all out. The younger Buchanan simply smiled and patted Richard's side.

Everyone watched this tear-jerking, heartwarming reunion as the siblings hugged it out. Unconsciously, Kagura inched closer to Simon, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders lovingly. Erza smiled warmly as another of her closest friends was reunited with family. The Tower of Heaven would forever haunt their pasts, as such a tragic place tore apart families and shattered friendships, as well as their spirits… But it seemed like finally they were leaving the shadow of that wretched Tower for good.

Angel was about the only one who wasn't completely happy with this touching reunion… Don't get her wrong; she was quite relieved for her comrade, but there was a touch of bitterness to her as she was once again reminded of _her_ loss. Isn't it funny how not one, but two members of Oracion Seis had lost their families as a result of those damn Zeref worshipers? At least Richard was with his brother for a time at that Tower, but Angel… was not so lucky.

Or perhaps she was. After all, Angel's experiences warped her very being, made her bitter, angry, and resentful of mankind. Why would she wish that kind of torment on her sister? Not even her old, bitter personality would have wished that on Yukino.

Makarov watched these proceedings with growing understanding. When Simon had contacted him, along with those three that came along with him, Makarov wondered what Simon had in mind. If Oracion Seis was beaten, everyone at Fairy Tail would gladly await them at the Guild Hall, if not charge out there in true Fairy Tail fashion to carry them all home. But no… Simon had only asked for a few to come out there. And only now was he understanding the Mikazuchi's intent.

This was a personal family moment. Simon must have worked out that the two were brothers, and he wanted to give them the reunion they deserved. Even if the Magic Council would come to arrest Richard for all of his crimes. Until the elder Buchanan's release, they would need to make this reunion count. Makarov had never been prouder of his children; they really were fantastic Wizards with splendid hearts…

* * *

Later that night, after the Rune Knights had arrived to take the Oracion Seis away, Natsu and Erza sat in their bed and comforted one another. Erza had cried her heart out; not just for the loss of Jellal, but for Richard and Wally. For Angel, who grudgingly revealed her name to the married couple privately. Sorano felt immensely guilty that she encouraged the darkness in Erza's heart to fester and grow, which Nirvana took advantage of. That was the whole reason she'd risked her life to keep Natsu safe; the whole reason she helped the Alliance out at all.

After some debate about it, Natsu returned her Gate Keys to the silver-haired woman, knowing that at least Gemini and Scorpio wanted to talk to her later. Alas, she didn't want the Council to confiscate them, so she entrusted them in the Dragneel family's care until such a time when she could talk to them again. With one noticeable exception – the Key for Aries. Angel specifically wanted them to entrust that Key to the Celestial Wizard of Fairy Tail. Aries was perhaps the most mistreated out of all her Spirits, and she just felt that she didn't have any right to speak to her again. She felt fortunate that Gemini and Scorpio wanted to even entertain renegotiating their contracts.

"You think they'll be okay?" Natsu asked quietly as his arm draped around Erza's shoulders and he massaged the shoulder opposite him. "They're kinda like Simon and the others, y'know? I mean, y'all were slaves, but…"

Erza shook her head and offered a small smile at his concern.

"I'm certain we'll see them again. Like Richard said, it's better that they pay their debt to society. One key difference between them and Team Jellal is that Simon and the others were largely restricted to working on the Tower of Heaven; Oracion Seis was committing crimes all over, even killing people. As much as Master wanted to immediately accept them into our family, you know how the Magic Council would react to that. We'll just have to wait until they live out sentences for their crimes."

"… Yeah." Natsu murmured quietly, and they settled into a relatively comfortable silence as they enjoyed one another's presence. After a while, he asked, "Are you sure _you're_ gonna be okay?"

Erza smiled wryly and took his free hand into her two hands, pressing them warmly together.

"Natsu, I swear, I'll be fine. Jellal's death hit me hard, but I'm not as… affected by it now. It probably helps that he didn't die right in front of me, and that he wasn't quite himself at the time… Even so, I'm going to move on. Fairy Tail has been my family for nearly ten years now, and I've come to accept that. It helps immensely that Simon, Kagura, Sho, Wally, and Milliana joined us, because it feels like both of families, past and present, have finally fused together." The beautiful redhead nuzzled her head on the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. "And next year we'll be welcoming a new life into the world… I told you before my love for you is like no other. I will protect everyone at Fairy Tail until my dying breath, but with you… that's not really enough. Not for me. Life without you would be... purely impossible. Unacceptable. But it's not just that; you _have_ to be there if I'm going to stay happy. I want to share as much of my life with you as I can, and I want to extend that to our children. Which is why… to make sure the baby stays healthy, I think it's time I stopped taking the really difficult missions, Natsu."

"Erza…" Natsu squeezed her shoulder consolingly, knowing that this was a tough thing for her to admit. But then again… weren't they approaching four months now? That baby bump would start to show pretty soon.

"That'll probably mean I'll have to miss the S-Class Trials…" Erza cracked a rueful grin. "I want to go watch them, I do. But someone should stay behind to watch the Guild anyway. It's not like we're lacking in S-Class mages anyway; between you, Gray, Mira, Gildarts, and Laxus, I think the trial-goers will be sufficiently tested."

"… Yeah, but they won't be traumatized by you stomping 'em flat!" Natsu chuckled as Erza playfully slugged him in the ribs. "… Okay, that was a bit uncalled for. I'm way scarier anyway."

Natsu yelped as she smacked him in the head with a pillow. Well, consider his secret mission a success. As much as she tried to hide it, Erza was still affected by Jellal's death somewhat, but at least now she was focused on other things she loved and beating him with a pillow for 'talking smack'. Really, which did she want? An intimidating reputation, or for him to surpass her?

… Meh. Didn't matter. He loved Erza either way, and he'd put in twice the effort for her sake when the Exams rolled around in a month's time. Team Crimson Flame would hafta adjust with Erza refraining from the S-Class Quests now, but he'd be a good leader! … Y'know, if Kagura didn't chop off a limb or somethin' for being reckless or whatnot.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ehehehe. I'm really gonna have to take some time off for school now 'cause I got stuff coming up, but I wanted to** _ **at least**_ **get this out for you guys… Wrap up Oracion Seis and ponder what to do next. So here's a question for you guys that you can answer in the Reviews… What would you like to see next? I gotta admit, I wasn't a huge fan of the Edolas Arc, at least when it compares to the likes of Tenrou Island and Oracion Seis Arcs. But if you guys want me to touch on it, who'm I to deprive you guys? But if you guys want me to jump straight to Tenrou so we can resolve Ultear a bit, I'm down for that, too (and believe me, I** _ **really**_ **wanna get to Ultear… lol).**

 **Sooo… Dragon Force. Maybe I took some liberties with that bit of Natsu's repertoire, but y'know what? I made him S-Class, and I haven't really expounded on what's so different now that he's on this level (he even made Wizard Saint!). In the process of pondering it, I made two modifications to his skills at this point in the series. The first is obviously Dragon Force; he hasn't eaten Etherion, nor did he have Jellal's Flame of Rebuke here in OS Arc. I read he was able to pull it off without a powerful Magical substance like those two when he fought Mard Geer, and I was further encouraged when Wendy seemed to pick it up after a year of training (or something like that). Having said that, I tried to make him learn it the traditional Natsu way – through hard work, and not 'first try' genius style. Dragon Force isn't going to be a permanent fixture in his style; it'll still be rare, but it'll be there when he needs it.**

 **As for the second thing… Well, I realized that I kinda made a booboo a number of times in relation to Lightning Flame Dragon Mode – namely it's a lot more exhaustive than I've been making it out to be. However, I've since thought up an explanation for it, which will be expounded on at some later point. And really, him training alongside Erza in this AU for so many years… it makes sense. Or will. Or at least I hope it does/will. :P**

 **Last item! I am closing the Team Mira Pairings poll. I was really surprised when there was a slight 'surge' in votes today; I mean, one option doubled in number, making it the winner by default. So I'm sorry to say for all of ya who wanted something different, but the people who wanted my initial plan of Gray x Juvia and Mira x Freed have spoken the most, so that's what I'm sticking with for them. Six fans voted for it, taking 54 percent of the total vote; three wanted 'Other' (and I don't seem to recall people telling me what they wanted for this option…?), taking 27 percent of the vote; and two people wanted Gray x Mira and Juvia x Lyon (or other), taking 18 percent of the vote. Like I said, there was a surge of votes for the initial plan. ^^; But I'll be fair. To the victors go the spoils.**

 **That said… If you want your voice heard for Gajeel's Pairing poll… VOTE! :D Will he wind up with Levy-chan, Kagura-chan, or some other third girl? PLEASE tell me who you want for the third option for this time; I literally have no third candidate lined up, as I am simply listing fan suggestions and my initial plan. Thanks in advance! Hope you enjoyed this a little!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Point-in-Time: November X784**

* * *

Natsu massaged his ear as he and his team walked along Magnolia's streets, returning to the Guild Hall. With Erza swearing off of S-Class Quests until the baby was born, their team was down one member, and so Kagura happily invited Milliana temporarily on these kinds of assignments. The brunette gleefully came along, as Team Crimson Flame had Happy and Carla… her two most favorite kitty-witties in the whole wide world! Meow!

Understandably, aforementioned kitty-witties weren't too thrilled with her addition to the team, no matter how temporary it was.

But back to Natsu and his troubles.

"Geez, Kagura! I said I was sorry." Natsu grumbled, glaring moodily at the teenager who had pulled his ear as 'punishment'. "Ultear never gives tough missions. It's always 'find the tome in plain sight in the Council Library'. The monster hunt was definitely new."

Kagura returned his moody glare with one of her own.

"You do realize Wendy was nearly _eaten_ …"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he smiled apologetically at the bluenette.

"Yeah… that was my bad. Beasties usually go right after me, and I have no trouble bustin' out of a monster's gut." Natsu tapped his chin in thought. "Must be all the meat I eat daily… But this one didn't even look at me!"

Kagura massaged her temples at Natsu's unrepentant attitude. At least Wendy hadn't been traumatized by the experience; she just smiled sheepishly in return and forgave her Big Brother straightaway. How the bluenette put up with that man's shenanigans, she would never know… But as long as Erza was absent, Kagura supposed she could use this time to tame the, er… Dragon. Slayer, that is. And no, she was not referring to something of a sexual nature… She could never do that to her idol and hero.

"You never really explained, Natsu, but how do you know a Councilwoman like Ultear Milkovich?" Simon queried with a raised brow. Despite the obvious platonic relationship on Natsu's end, he'd had to hold Kagura back from lashing out at the Councilwoman when she inspected an injury Natsu had on his open chest… It wasn't super intimate or anything, but it was borderline, and that was enough for Kagura to justify a… beating. On Natsu and Ultear both.

Kagura narrowed her eyes as that woman was brought up. She did not like the general feeling she got from that Councilwoman… Something was off about her.

"Well, I first met her years ago when Erza and I kept getting in trouble with the Magic Council." Natsu sweatdropped at his team's incredulous faces. Even Milliana had temporarily stopped hugging the stuffing out of Happy and Carla to look at him dully. "I mean moreso than what's the norm nowadays. Back then, a few days without being in their stuffy presence was kinda a miracle. Usually they just fined us and sent us on our way, but yeah… Ultear approached us eventually, and I think she took a shining to me, 'cause when we made S-Class, she specifically asked for me on a bunch of 'em. … Even if all we did was find some books. Like I said, this Quest was way different than usual."

"She… flirts… with you…" Kagura ground out, to which Natsu chuckled sheepishly.

"She's a little playful, yeah, but it's normally just to annoy Erza. Ultear would probably bite your head off if you asked her about it, but I think we share a friendship, sorta…" Natsu blinked at everyone's shocked faces. Shocked that he was aware of something like that, that is. Well, except Wendy, who hadn't been paying too much attention to Ultear when they collected the Reward. "What? Yeah, I'm oblivious 'n dense, but I'm not _deaf_ or nothin'. I figured it out a long time ago that Ultear liked playing games with Erza, even if they're a bit mean-spirited. Ultear doesn't _like-like_ me or anythin'. Same with me."

"You've… known?" Simon asked faintly, still trying to wrap his mind around it. Not to insult Natsu or anything, but the few times he'd been with them on these 'Ultear Quests', the Dragon Slayer had been the very picture of oblivious, as Ultear's flirtations seemingly went straight over his head.

"Yeah!" Natsu chirped, grinning like crazy in spite of probably breaking his friends' minds a bit… "Y'know Ultear's the one who told me about Jellal's death. Like I said, there's nothin' there beyond a sorta friendship… She even confessed she was made an orphan like me 'n Erza."

Before anyone could question him further on the Councilwoman, bells started to ring throughout the town. Natsu grinned like a loon as he knew full well what this meant.

"Happy, let's get back to the Guild, pronto! Gildarts is back!" The Dragon Slayer laughed boisterously.

"Aye!" Happy gleefully wiggled out of his tormentor's grasp and sprouted his wings before picking Natsu up by the back of his vest and flying off with him. Carla glared after him, as she was still trapped in Milliana's arms.

"Traitorous tomcat…" She grumbled.

"He does _not_ get off that easily…" Kagura growled softly, having every intention to revisit the topic of Ultear. Simon chuckled and patted her back consolingly before they, Milliana, and Wendy and Carla took off after the pair that left them in the dust.

They might not have known the significance of the alarms going off in the city, but as Natsu said, Gildarts was seemingly returning, so they knew that much. Though this hadn't happened when he returned for Natsu and Erza's wedding. For every member of their team, this was their very first experience with Magnolia's 'Gildarts Shift'…

* * *

No sooner had the rest of Team Crimson Flame reached Fairy Tail's Guild Hall than did the city literally split in two. And as per tradition, Gildarts made his patented dramatic entrance as his Guildmates happily welcomed him home. Though he'd only been away for a month to resume his SSS-Class Quest, Gildarts still marveled at the new faces and their relatively new Guild Hall. Frankly, it slipped his mind that a lot of things had happened in his absence – chalk it up to his overall character.

… There's a reason Gildarts was Natsu's idol.

"Gildarts!" Makarov called the orange-head over to the bar after he had some time to admire the new things.

"Oh, Master! You're looking well!" Gildarts commented.

"How'd the job go?"

"Hmm…" Gildarts hummed thoughtfully before bursting out into nervous laughter, to which Makarov sighed. The orange-head rubbed the back of his head. "No good. Way too much for me."

A round of collective gasps could be heard throughout the Guild Hall. No one had ever heard of a job that had been too tough for their signature Ace to handle.

"I can't believe he'd just give up like this…" Gray mumbled.

"I guess it takes a big man to admit defeat." Elfman mused.

Amidst the crowd, Lucy couldn't help but be curious, despite all the Quests that Team Crimson Flame had dragged her on in the past… They'd never taken a SSS-Class with her around, or… ever, really.

 _'A Century Quest is too much for the strongest Wizard in Fairy Tail…? I wonder what it takes to finish it...'_ Lucy was abruptly shaken out of her thoughts by Erza, who was glaring at her reprovingly.

"I know what you're thinking over there, and you should stop. There's no way." Erza would not be letting the blonde attempt to finish it.

"OH! I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL, I SWEAR! MY MIND IS TOTALLY BLANK!" Lucy squealed in fright.

"I see…" Makarov remarked curiously. "The job was too tough."

"Forgive me for bringing shame to the Guild." Gildarts apologized, but the Guild Master waved him off.

"No. You've only brought yourself back in one piece!" Makarov smiled consolingly at their Ace. "That's no small feat in itself! As far as I'm aware, you're the only one who's made the journey home alive!"

Gildarts smiled back at the Old Man.

"Thanks, boss! Now I gotta get back home to actually feel alive… Rest my weary bones." The orange-head stopped walking when a thought occurred to him. "…Natsu. Erza. Do you mind if I stop by later? I brought something back for Natsu, and I wouldn't mind seeing how your place has changed."

Natsu chuckled in anticipation of the surprise, and Erza gave her consent as well. Gildarts then resumed his walking.

"Well, I'm outta here!" He said this casually as he walked up to a wall and accidentally made a hole with his Magic, causing many to stare after him in slight irritation.

Hey, give 'em a break, the Guild Hall was nice now.

"You can use the front door, y'know! Warren exclaimed.

"Wonder what the Old Man's got for me!" Natsu cackled as he proceeded to imitate his idol by making another hole in the wall and walking through it. "I'm fired up just thinkin' about it!"

"One wall-breaker around here is enough!" Max whined.

"My goodness!" Mira giggled in amusement.

"C'mon, Happy! We're outta here, too!"

Wendy watched after her Big Brother with some curiosity.

"Are Gildarts and Natsu close or something?" She received a nod from Happy as he raised his paw, too.

"Aye! Erza's helped make Natsu strong, but it's still a bit hard to say if Natsu and Gildarts are equal in power yet… Even so, they've been pretty good friends for as long as they've known each other!"

"Oh?" Carla asked curiously.

"He's gone on Quests most of the time, isn't he?" Simon asked.

"Aye! But he was around the time I was born, so I've known him my whole life!" Happy revealed. Erza brought a clenched fist to her armored chest as memories came flooding back to her. Makarov would always hold a special place in her heart, but back then… It really felt like she had a family whenever Gildarts was around. Gildarts acted like a father, and she was the tough older sister to Natsu and Lisanna, who was considered an honorary member of Team Crimson Flame after it was formed… To Mira's ire back then.

* * *

 _Flashback…_

"When do I get my fishy-wishy?!" Little Happy whined as he sat beside Natsu and Lisanna along the riverbank.

"Hold your horses! I'm just about to land a huge one!" Natsu grumbled irritably.

"They don't seem to be biting, do they?" Lisanna kindly smiled as she looked out at the water. She then visibly brightened along with Natsu and Happy as the line on the fishing rod tensed.

"See! What'd I tell ya?!" Natsu laughed and pulled the fish out of the water.

"Reel that sucker in!" Happy cheered. Though as he and Lisanna pointed out to the young Dragon Slayer… it was tiny.

Soon enough, the three of them were sitting in front of a campfire that Natsu made.

"It's small, but it'll feed us, right?"

"I guess… But that huge one you were gonna land us would've fed us even better!" Happy grumpily nitpicked.

"I'll get a bigger one, just not today, okay?!" Natsu huffed. Lisanna giggled at their antics.

"It's just like watching a little kid ask his dad to give him a better toy!"

Natsu pouted at that remark.

"No, it's not! 'Cause I'm not his dad!"

"I definitely don't see him as a father figure!" Happy proceeded to taunt the pink-head, garnering a glare and a growl from him.

"Well, I wouldn't mind being a mom, 'cause that would mean I'm like your wife!" Lisanna kept smiling despite the Dragon Slayer getting more annoyed.

"Don't start that again! You and me aren't married, okay?!"

Lisanna playfully waved him off and rested a hand on her cheek.

"Then why are you blushing? It'll be true Sunday, won't it?"

"No it won't, ya big dummy!" Natsu griped.

"You are just the cutest when you're embarrassed!" Lisanna squealed, getting Natsu to groan some more. His face was completely red in a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Oooh, Natsu! She loooves you!" Happy made a cute face.

"That is gonna get old real quick!" Natsu complained.

* * *

Later that day, as the sun was setting, the three returned to the hut that Natsu and Lisanna made together. Soon enough, the blue cat was conked out with a blanket draped over his small body. Natsu and Lisanna were watching over the little guy.

"So tell me, do you ever remember stuff about your mom or dad, Natsu?" Lisanna asked quietly. When the pink-head didn't answer for a few moments, she smiled and looked down at the ground. "Just curious. My brother and sister are super nice and take good care of me, so it's not like I don't have a family or anything… But I wonder what it'd be like, just to feel a parent's warmth!"

"Yeah… I dunno…" Natsu trailed off after a while.

"Do you ever feel that way?"

"Maybe… I mean, I guess I knew Igneel's warmth…"

"Your dragon? Huh." Lisanna looked off to the sunset as Natsu started to break down in sadness.

"I don't understand… Why? Why did he leave me? I tried really hard to find him! I looked everywhere, but it was just no use at all! He left!"

Lisanna thought about how sad it was for Natsu… But then she perked up as she seemed to recall something.

"I almost forgot to tell you! I found some giant footprints on the edge of the East Forest!"

"What? For real?" And just like that, Natsu bounced back as he looked at Lisanna curiously.

"Yeah! I'm not sure if they were dragon tracks, but they seemed big enough to me!"

Natsu was instantly on his feet and looked raring to go.

"Alright! Let's go check 'em out!"

"I dunno, the sun's about to set…"

"Who cares?! I'll go by myself if I gotta, just tell me where you found 'em!" Natsu had a fierce look of determination in his eyes. Happy stirred and rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

"What are you yelling about…?"

"I'll go, too, 'kay?" Lisanna told the pink-head firmly. "I'll show you."

Yet before they could go anywhere, Erza suddenly appeared in the hut's entrance and had her arms crossed disapprovingly as she looked at the pair of them. Apparently, she was eavesdropping.

"Hold on. Natsu hasn't trained at all today, and I don't him slacking off. I think it's best that we train for a while tonight, get some rest, and go check out those tracks tomorrow."

Natsu pulled at his hair as he stared at the scarlet knight in frustration, alternating his feet as he stomped a bit.

"But Erzaaa! Igneel might be gone by then! This might be my only chance!"

Erza huffed at the Dragon Slayer's predictable attitude. She knew that he wasn't trying to weasel out of training; Igneel was really important to him. But even so…

"It's too dangerous to be that far out in the woods at night!" The redhead tried to put her foot down, but could see in the Dragon Slayer's eyes that he wasn't going to back down from this. Even if she forced him to go to sleep now and stayed the night here to make sure he didn't stubbornly wander off to find those tracks on his own, Natsu would _still_ find a way to slip past her. Erza knew this for a fact – it had happened before. Twice. Eventually she sighed and acquiesced. "… Fine. But I'm coming with you two. But right after, we're going to _train_ , Natsu… Is that understood?"

Natsu rapidly nodded his head. He didn't care if his training partner was comin' along or that she'd be putting him through the paces for being adamant about this… Igneel awaited!

"I'm all fired up now!" Natsu exclaimed passionately.

* * *

Despite attempts to make Happy stay behind for safety, the blue cat wound up tagging along, floating between Natsu and Erza while Lisanna led the group. Night had since fallen, giving the forest an eerie sense to it.

"It's gettin' kinda scary…" Happy mumbled. Natsu reassured his friend.

"Don't worry about it! So do you see 'em or what?" Natsu asked the silver-haired girl, who was looking about the area carefully.

"Not yet, but I think we're getting close…" A few moments later, she stopped and leaned down to look at the tracks. They _were_ pretty huge… "Wow, right here!"

"Wow! Those are footprints?!" Happy exclaimed in wonder. "They're so big!"

"So what do you think, Natsu?" Lisanna asked the Dragon Slayer, who seemed disheartened when he got a good look at the tracks. Erza stared at the back of his head with some concern.

"Hmm. I think these are from a Forest Vulcan."

"Huh?! Are you talking about those big monsters, like that green one you fought that one time?" The silver-haired girl asked as she recalled holding onto Happy's egg while Natsu fought the creature.

A few minutes later, they were out by a body of water as Natsu took some time to get over his disappointment.

"I shoulda known better…" Natsu sighed. "I mean, I looked all over for Igneel! There's no way he'd happen to show up so close by!"

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to get your hopes up." Lisanna apologized, while Erza kept respectfully silent. "It was a mistake…"

"Aw, don't worry about it!" Natsu assured the silver-haired girl. "We should probably start heading home."

Erza nodded and smiled proudly at Natsu's attitude. He didn't lash out at Lisanna.

"You're not to blame, Lisanna. Those were big tracks; anyone other than Natsu would've believed they were possible dragon tracks. You were just trying to cheer up a friend." The girls exchanged smiles, while Natsu stood back up.

As they were all making their way back, Natsu started muttering under his breath again.

"Where is he?! Where did Igneel go?"

"Hey, Natsu! Wait up!" Lisanna called out as she tried to catch her breath. Natsu was moving at a faster pace than usual, and it was largely due to his mind being elsewhere.

Thankfully, Erza had a clear mind, and stopped to wait for the poor girl. Natsu kept moving on ahead in his depressed state. But eventually, even the pink-head stopped when the fog started to set in.

"Hey, Natsu… Don'tcha think we should wait here for Lisanna and Erza?" The blue flying cat asked the Dragon Slayer, finally snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"Oh… Yeah." They stood there for a few minutes, but neither of the girls seemed to be catching up. "Do you think she's still back there?"

"I told you we shoulda waited for her!" Happy chided the boy, to which he groaned.

"Crap… Erza 'n Mira are gonna pound the heck outta me!" Natsu wailed as he ran back the way he came, voices of Elfman, Mira, and Erza ringing in his head – though Elfman was more wounded than angry. "Hold on, Lisanna! Erza! I'm comin' for ya! LISANNAAA! ERZAAA! Where'd you go?! C'mon, quit playing around and say somethin'!"

Eventually, Natsu stumbled over a giant tree root and grumbled in annoyance. Shortly after, he heard Lisanna's scream, and Erza's distinct war cry; clearly, a battle was afoot. Natsu ran in the direction of the sounds, only to get there too late, as the giant Forest Vulcan smacked the redhead away while holding onto the silver-head in his other hand. The monster sneered evilly and cackled as it turned to face Natsu.

"Long time no see, you little punk! You ain't lookin' for this, are ya…?" The beast taunted as it held up Lisanna for Natsu to see.

"Lisanna! Let her go! Get your hands off of her, monkey!"

"No way! You don't know how things work in the forest, do ya kid?! Finders-keepers, losers-weepers!"

"She isn't yours to keep!" Natsu defiantly yelled.

"Yeah!" Happy piped up beside him.

"Oh, I'm gonna keep her! Right?" The Vulcan held Lisanna up to its face. "'Cause it just so happens I've been lookin' for a wife!"

Lisanna openly wept as images of herself sharing a family with the Vulcan.

"Oh, why?! I don't think so!"

"Ya see? That's how I feel." Natsu remarked dryly.

"Oh, wow! Scandalous, truly forbidden love!" Happy gushed.

"I'm sorry if you feel that way, Mister Vulcan, but my heart belongs to my sweet little Natsu." Lisanna told the beast flat out, getting a growl in return.

"Oh yeah?! Well, I say you're mine, so that means you're mine, okay?!"

"Huh?!" Lisanna gaped in shock as the monkey insisted on it.

"You don't make the rules around here!" Natsu roared.

"You're disrespectin' me, kid… So I'm gonna keep her! But if you really want her back, you should apologize!"

"Now you're blackmailing me?!" Natsu grumbled.

"No! He's just messing with you!" Lisanna told her friend, knowing the beast was being insincere.

"Swallow your pride, get on your knees…" But before the Vulcan could finish its taunt, Erza finally returned and harshly struck it from the side, getting it to release Lisanna. Albeit rather clumsily.

"That's for kidnapping a defenseless girl!" The redhead growled lowly. But alas, the Vulcan got back up from the surprise attack and eyed the scarlet knight greedily.

"You're a whole lot better! I like my girls with a little spunk, we're gonna have a whole lot of kids!"

Erza understandably shivered and glared coldly back at the monkey.

"Say. that. again."

"Hmm… No." The Vulcan grinned, gunning for Natsu. But of course, Erza tried to intercept it, and that's what it was counting on. Abruptly, the Vulcan opened its massive hand and latched onto the knight, not letting her go when it caught her. "Now I got ya!"

"Give Erza back!" Natsu yelled as he ran straight at the monkey, but the creature leaned back and brought its foot smashing down on the pink-head. This stomp was followed up in quick succession as the Vulcan alternated its feet.

"HAHAHA! You got lucky last time, but now it's time to squash you like the little punk you are!" The Vulcan sneered as it stopped levelling Natsu into the ground with its feet. It proceeded to pick up a boulder that was about as big as itself – holding it over the trampled Dragon Slayer tauntingly.

Both Erza and Lisanna cried out, as neither one was able to do anything, but as the Vulcan swung the boulder down on Natsu…

"You really are a nasty, stupid monkey, y'know?" The boulder was suddenly stopped, and the Fairy Tail mages recognized Gildarts on the spot. The Vulcan was shocked a human could stop its attack so easily.

"Who're you callin' names, ya runt?!"

"I'll just get this out of the way…" Gildarts casually remarked as he used his Crash Magic to nicely break up the boulder into tiny pieces. Obviously the giant monkey freaked out as Gildarts smirked back at it. "Let me explain to you how things are gonna go from here… You're gonna let go of the girl, turn around, and walk away."

"I hear you loud and clear! I'm sorry, sir!" The Vulcan yelped as it set Erza down and beat a hasty retreat.

The scarlet knight smiled gratefully up at the S-Class mage.

"Thanks for the help, Gildarts!"

"No problem, Erza!" Gildarts said as he recognized that shade of red hair anywhere.

"That was amazing!" Lisanna cried out happily as she and Happy came running and floating up respectively. Natsu dazedly picked himself out of the small crater the Vulcan had put him in.

"Hey. Do I know you, little girl?" Gildarts asked curiously as he studied Lisanna closely, swearing he'd seen her somewhere before…

"Yes, I'm Lisanna!" The silver-haired girl replied.

"I'll be! You're Mirajane's kid sister!"

"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy asked his buddy as he groaned.

"Yeah…"

"Does anybody else see a flying cat over there, or am I going nuts?!" Gildarts cried eccentrically as he finally registered Happy.

"That's just our newest Guild member, Happy!" Lisanna explained.

Natsu sighed as he lamented over being unable to protect Lisanna and Erza.

"I'm sorry, Gildarts… I…"

"You've grown up to be quite the man, Natsu!" The Crash mage told the boy encouragingly. "There's a whole lot more to being a Wizard than just Magical Power. It's about having guts and standing up for those who can't help themselves, no matter what the odds may be! And you've got guts."

Natsu beamed at the praise and thanked the man he looked up to. Erza couldn't help smiling as well; it was just like Natsu to bounce back regardless of the situation.

"But… I guess having not just one, but _two_ girls is pretty manly, too! They gonna be your wives? Eh? Eh?" … And there went the smile as the Crash mage tried to taint her partner with such… such lewd thoughts…

Of course she couldn't properly punish Gildarts yet. When she swung her fist, he caught it effortlessly and smiled lecherously at her, making her scowl deepen.

"Th-They're not my wives!" Natsu blushed madly, making Lisanna giggle.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed!"

"He loooves them!" Happy chimed in.

Gildarts laughed heartily at their antics. Eventually, they all tried making their way back home.

"Man, this fog is like pea soup…" Natsu grumbled.

"It tends to get thick this time of year, so watch your step." Gildarts advised the kids.

"It's so magical! It's like I'm walking on a completely different planet right now!" Lisanna gushed.

"You think so?" Natsu asked.

"Earlier, when you were looking for me, it made me feel so good to hear your voice calling out my name throughout the murk and fog!"

"Hmm…" Natsu groaned a little as Lisanna continued to insist on making them an item… Wasn't it too early to be thinkin' about that stuff?

Erza sure wasn't helping as she smirked a little at his discomfort. Served him right for mindlessly going on ahead without them.

"Hey. If I ever went missing like that again, you'd go looking for me, wouldn't you? You wouldn't just let me stay gone, right?"

Natsu blinked as she posed such a strange question.

"Uh… Yeah! Of course!"

"I knew you'd say yes!" Mira beamed at him.

"Why not?" Natsu asked like it was a fairly obvious thing to do. It really was. He'd go lookin' for her, Erza, Happy… anyone from Fairy Tail, really.

… Except maybe Gray. If the Stripper got lost or somethin', it served him right for bein' a pervert.

"Come by tomorrow, pal. We'll play a little catch, yeah?" Gildarts smiled as they neared the outskirts of Magnolia.

"Oh yeah! I hope you're ready!" Natsu yelled excitedly.

* * *

The next day, Natsu and Gildarts were out by Gildarts's place as they tossed a ball around 'casually'. Hey. You gotta admit, Gildarts had quite the arm.

"Let me ask you… What were you doing walking around the East Forest in the dark of night, anyway?"

Natsu winced as he caught the ball with both his hands. He waved his wounded wrist a little as smoke came off of it.

"I've told you about Igneel before, you remember, don'tcha?" He threw the ball back at Gildarts.

"Yeah… That's the red dragon you've been chasing after."

Natsu winced again as the ball came back his way and smacked into him.

"Lisanna found some footprints, so we went to look for him!" Natsu put a little 'firepower' behind his next throw, but Gildarts still caught it one-handed, effortlessly. "Turns out she was dead… wrong!"

As soon as he said that, the ball crumbled due to Gildarts's Crash Magic, and Natsu sweatdropped.

"Sorry, my bad!" Gildarts sheepishly apologized. But then he sobered up again. "This Igneel… I reckon seeing him again is pretty important to you, isn't it?"

As Natsu looked down glumly, the Crash mage made his way over and placed his hand on Natsu's pink locks.

"With guts like you've got… Heh! I know you'll find him, kid!" The orange-head grinned down at the Dragon Slayer. With Natsu cheered up, he said, "Now… What do you say we do a little fishin'?"

Erza, Lisanna, and Happy were watching the two from a short distance away.

"Gildarts is really nice. He's almost like a father to him!" Lisanna mused, to which Happy nodded amicably.

"Aye!"

Erza couldn't argue with that. And as the days and months went by, Gildarts stuck around Magnolia for a while, which was slightly uncharacteristic of him. But Natsu, Erza, Lisanna, and Happy weren't exactly unhappy about it. As much as Gildarts could be a troublemaker when it came to certain things… like suggesting polygamous relationships when it came to a certain Dragon Slayer… The Crash mage really was like a father to them. Fishing, hunting, sleeping out under the stars… They did so much together. Erza would've dragged Gray out to enjoy those days with them, but Mira had kind of sunk her claws into the Ice Make mage, and she wasn't letting go… So it wound up just being the five of them, counting Happy.

It was really… nice.

* * *

"Wow! Maybe he brought me back a rare fire from another kingdom or somethin'!" Natsu chuckled as he finally returned home.

"Yeah!" Happy piped up, having caught up with his buddy. "I wonder what it is!"

Well, they didn't hafta wait too long. About an hour after they got back, and Erza returned home with Wendy, Gildarts showed up and crashed on their couch. … Not literally with his Magic, of course. Erza might actually hurt him if he wrecked anything.

"Man, it's been a while since you stopped by!" The Dragon Slayer grinned as the Crash mage took in the new layout and decorations of the home. It'd really come a long way from being the pigsty that it was initially when it was just Natsu and Happy living in it. Of course Erza would regularly make him clean it up anyway, even before they started dating, but it always managed to somehow return to a chaotic state soon after being cleaned…

Well, not anymore. Ever since Erza started living under their roof, Natsu had his packrat habits gradually beaten out of him. He still kept a Memory Wall, of course… Well… it was really more of a Memory _Room_ now, since Erza collected mementos, too. And Wendy was allowed to add mementos to the collection as well. Even that horn they received as a gift was laying outside their home. Y'know, casually. Not menacing at all.

Aside from that, the whole place gained a second level, where the bedrooms were located. There was still some construction going on, but now that Erza wasn't taking S-Class Quests, she could help oversee the development even more closely… 'Course the workers weren't comfortable with the scarlet knight hanging about and bossing them around, but what were you gonna do? There was still a fireplace, too, and it was nicely refurbished, in addition to having the couple's favorite wedding picture hanging over it.

All in all… Gildarts was impressed that Erza brought about this much change in their favorite Pyro's life.

"So… Nice renovations." Gildarts remarked casually as he was still marveling at all the changes. You could really tell there was a woman's touch, 'cause it just felt so… home-y.

"Whatcha got for me, pops?!" Natsu asked excitedly even as Erza placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from bouncing.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the Crash mage smirked at the couple before his eyes panned over to Wendy and Carla.

"Never mind that… Hey, can't say we didn't get to talk much at the wedding. What's your name, little girl?" The Crash mage asked the bluenette as he leaned forward a bit.

"I-I'm Wendy. It's v-very nice to meet you, Mister Gildarts!" Wendy blushed as the orange-head studied her so intently. She kinda felt like she was imposing, since Natsu and Erza had such a close relationship with this man, but Erza had assured her that it was perfectly fine. Wendy was just as much family as Gildarts, and it was about time they got acquainted.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Wendy! I bet you'll be a real looker in a few years!" The Crash mage grinned a tad lecherously, but managed to keep his antics low key for the time being, as Erza strongly suggested he do so… without saying a single word.

All the same, Wendy flushed red like a ripe tomato. Carla of course scolded the old pervert, but Natsu steered the topic onto something else.

"Yeah, Wendy's a Sky Dragon Slayer! Between us and Gajeel, we all lost our dragon parents on the same day. Weird, huh?"

At the mention of dragons, Gildarts grimaced, and this did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room. He smiled apologetically for any confusion he might've caused. It looked like he'd just have to get straight down to 'business' then.

"Listen. While I was gone, I met a dragon." Gildarts came out and said it, stunning everyone with just that announcement. But he had more to say. "I'll bet it's neither of the dragons you two are lookin' for, though… Or that Gajeel guy for that matter. It was black as a moonless night."

"Where was it?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Sacred Mount Zonia. He's the real reason I failed on my Quest." As Natsu abruptly turned to leave, Gildarts stopped him. "What're you gonna do?"

"Well, _obviously_ , I'm gonna ask him where Igneel is!" Natsu grumbled. Really, this was the best lead he'd had on Igneel in… forever.

"Think again, kid – that one's long gone by now. He's out flying in the wild blue yonder."

"I don't care! I can track him down if I put my mind to it!"

"Natsu… look at me." The Crash mage replied solemnly as he stood up and took of his cloak, revealing the horrific state his body was in. No one could tear their eyes from Gildarts's heavily bandaged body – he even had and artificial leg now, apparently. "It was over before I knew what hit me. It ripped off my arm, my leg… and then it gutted me. Igneel might be a different kind of creature, but I can tell you this black one is no friend to anyone. There's not a man that could beat him."

Natsu took some offense to that.

"Look! We Dragon Slayers aren't called that for nothin', ya know! This guy doesn't stand a chance against what I'm capable of!"

"If that's what you believe, I'm not gonna try to stand in your way." Gildarts told the pink-head tiredly. He didn't need to. Erza had already latched a hand onto Natsu's shoulder to keep him from running off.

"Natsu... You are not going after that creature." The scarlet knight told him sternly. She might trust Natsu to handle practically any battle… But right now her instincts were _screaming_ to hold him tight. Maybe there would come a day that Natsu would defeat this mysterious dragon… But that was nowhere in the near future.

"E-Erza…" The pink-head stared into his wife's eyes pleadingly, but she wouldn't budge. He sighed as he considered his options… he could just force his way out of there, but somehow… it just didn't feel right. He knew that Erza was protecting him and keeping their family together, but it didn't make this any easier. Natsu cursed under his breath. "Damn it…"

While Natsu was internally warring with himself, Wendy couldn't get Gildarts's injuries out of her head, even when Gildarts covered himself up again. It was just so… terrible. A dragon was truly capable of such violence?

… Of course they were. Even Grandeeney, as kindhearted as she was, could cause destruction with her Sky Magic. But to think there was such a malevolent creature out there…

Everyone's attention was drawn to somebody knocking at the front door. Well, it was more like pounding. Erza didn't stop Natsu this time as he went to answer it; she didn't need to worry about him running off now. And yet… she was quite shocked when he came back a few moments later with Mystogan of all people in tow. Even with his face covered up, the redhead could tell just by looking into his eyes that something was wrong.

"You need to hurry… I fear Fairy Tail doesn't have much time."

… Well, wasn't that quite the attention-grabber.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ehehe… Two papers coming up and one more exam, and I'm done for the semester. For those worried about Edolas being dragged out – don't worry, I've decided to do an abbreviated version of it. For the most part, I'm going to stick to the changes I've made, and kinda 'fast-forward' through it, instead of going through all of the nitty gritty and making it a full Arc. I just felt we needed a breather between Balam Alliance members. :P**

 **That said, there will be a bit of repeating canon at first, namely in getting there and getting certain characters freed. I have a specific aim of covering the reunion with Lisanna; since I had Gildarts around for not only the wedding but the S-Class Trials back in X782, I kinda avoided the topic of Lisanna's 'death' because he woulda learned about it by now. Obviously it depressed him, like in canon. But we'll change that. Man, I might be a Natza shipper, but I was highly amused with Lisanna when they were kids; she was really set on having Natsu to herself. XD**

 **… That said, it will be a bit sad for her that Erza snatched him up in her absence, but it's not as if she'll be angry about it. She could tell Erza cared for Natsu, too, as we might well see in coming flashbacks.**

 **Lastly, just a friendly reminder – Gajeel poll is still up. I'll keep it up for the duration of this short Arc, and just take it away from there. Right now the poll's looking pretty set, but all that can change, so don't get too comfy. I gotta go with the results, in the end. ^^;**


	24. Chapter 24

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

It was that crazy time of year again. Many a Fairy Tail Wizard were snatching up Quests like flies, and were doing so solo. Even reserved Wizards like Kagura and Simon were joining the competition… Well, Kagura was. Really, Simon was an 'unfortunate casualty' as his sister tried to complete more Quests than him as quickly as possible. What made it unfortunate was that Simon had been selecting jobs calculatingly – meaning he would normally return to the Guild way before Kagura after excellently completing a mission. The elder Mikazuchi tried to quell his sister's competitive spirit, but she wouldn't accept anything less than his best. It didn't help that Wally, Sho, and Milliana were all in his corner, cheering him on; Milliana's 'betrayal' particularly wounded Kagura, but she grudgingly took it in stride as the brunette knew her brother for longer than her.

Natsu watched from the sidelines, highly entertained that his team was getting 'all fired up' for the chance at promotion. He tried to stoke such flames in Wendy, but the bluenette knew she wasn't quite ready for S-Class yet, and so regularly took jobs with Natsu and Happy instead. Erza tried to cheer the Sky Dragon Slayer up and assure her that she was an amazing Wizard, but Wendy insisted she had a long way to go to catch up to her and Natsu.

Team Mira was now equal in numbers with Team Crimson Flame again. With Lisanna's return and Elfman believing their family should stick together. Lisanna was personally amazed that Natsu, Erza, and Gray were all made S-Class in her absence; and similar to Wendy, she knew that S-Class was out of her reach for the time being. Simply put, two years in Edolas, where Magic was practically nonexistent, Lisanna just didn't have the opportunity to grow as a Wizard. All the same, Mira, Elfman, and everyone else at Fairy Tail were just glad to have her back. But even with Lisanna out of the running, Elfman and Juvia were among the gung-ho Wizards shooting for S-Class – for reasons that were highly predictable…

Teams Mira and Crimson Flame weren't the only ones going crazy, though. Gajeel and Levy had a bit of a rivalry going on, despite being on the same team. All members of the Thunder Legion could barely contain themselves. Cana hated being left behind by Natsu, Erza, and Gray. Alzack and Bisca. Macao and Wakaba. Every able-bodied Wizard with even just a hint of passion for their career was making the effort to impress the higher-ups.

And then the Big Day arrived. Practically every member of Fairy Tail was gathered before the curtain of the stage, waiting in palpable anticipation.

"Has the time come already?" Panther Lily inquired with his hands on his hips. "It doesn't seem possible."

Gajeel crossed his arms and smirked proudly.

"Oh, it is. I can smell Salamander up there." Along with Mira and Laxus. … But Gajeel preferred to not think about them, as he intended to take his conquest of the S-Class Wizards one step at a time, starting with the mouthy Pyro.

"I wonder what the Trials will be like! Natsu has been pretty close-lipped about it!" Wendy beamed eagerly. Carla had a dry expression on her face, though.

"Yes… and Erza hasn't gotten a clear answer out of him… I'm really surprised they've kept her out of the loop, although I suppose it could all just be an act…" The white Exceed mused.

Alzack tapped his pointer fingers together nervously.

"What's he gonna say?! The suspense is killing me!"

"We worked our little tails off, right? Don't worry!" Bisca assured her boyfriend.

"Ya got that right, doll!" Wally chuckled beside them. "Everyone worked real hard for this!"

"The tension here is _huge_. Very manly!" Elfman declared cockily from his position near the front. Lisanna giggled at her brother's side.

Cana appeared somewhat uneasy, but Sho patted her shoulder consolingly, as he knew she worked really hard to get nominated. A little ways from where they were standing, Kagura, Simon, and Milliana were gathered, with Kagura looking the most impatient among them. Then there was Lucy standing a little bit away from them with Juvia.

"I'm dying to know what's going on…" The blonde muttered.

"This is so unbelievably exciting…" Juvia whispered and looked frantically about. "But _where_ is my darling Gray?!"

Lucy sweatdropped at the bluenette's desperate search. A few moments later, the curtain rose up, unveiling the stage with Makarov and all six of the S-Class Wizards standing in a semicircle behind him. Natsu and Gray at the ends, Erza and Mira next to them respectively, and Gildarts and Laxus toward the back.

"Here we go!"

"Please don't make us wait any longer!"

"Yeah, just tell us already!"

"I'm still so lost… Tell us what now?" Kinana, a relatively new member of their Fairy Tail family, squeaked out.

Makarov cleared his throat.

"In accordance with the Fairy Tail Guild's time-honored tradition, I will now… announce this year's entrants for the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trials!" Makarov declared, which was met with thunderous applause.

"This is why everyone's been acting crazy lately?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Please be quiet, everyone!" Erza calmed the excited crowd.

"Shut up and let the Master finish talking!" Gildarts reiterated.

Everyone immediately fell quiet, and Makarov continued with the announcement.

"The Trial this year will take place on Tenrou Island, our Guild's sacred ground!"

"Do you guys know what he's going to make them do?" Lucy whispered to Max and Warren.

"Well, it's something different every year." Max mused.

"It's basically a seriously tough job!" Warren remarked.

"But if you're able to pull it off, Master will bump you up to an S-Class Wizard!" Alzack pumped his fist and had stars shining in his eyes.

Makarov held up a fist challengingly.

"The strength you possess inside… Your character… And your hearts! These are what I considered while making my selections! And I have chosen eight participants! Cana Alberona!"

"Here we go…" The brunette took a deep breath.

"Juvia Lockser!"

"Really?! The Master chose me?!"

"Elfman Strauss!"

"S-Class deserves a real man like me!"

"Best of luck, Big Brother!" Lisanna cheered him on.

"Freed Justine!"

"So I'll be following in Laxus's footsteps…"

"Levy McGarden!"

"I'm so stoked about this!"

"Levy's totally gonna win this!" Jet and Droy cheered with hearts in their eyes.

"Mest Gryder!"

The man in question said nothing, but people referenced him.

"He was so close last year!"

"Simon Mikazuchi!"

The elder Mikazuchi offered a small smile as Kagura pointed accusingly at him. He hadn't even put forth a visible effort in their 'competition', and he got the nomination anyway!

"And Gajeel Redfox!"

"Hell yeah!" The Iron Dragon Slayer howled in triumph. He was going to reclaim that S-Class title that he lost when Phantom Lord disbanded…

"I worked so hard… Why didn't he pick me this year?" Alzack moaned as a cloud hung over him.

"It's bound to happen someday, so buck up!" Bisca comforted him.

"Looks like Cana got nominated again!" Warren mused. Max nodded his head in agreement.

"Elfman, too! And with Levy and Freed entered as well, ya gotta wonder who's going to come out on top."

"I'm so proud of those kids!" Macao said with a grin.

"They're pretty excited!" Wakaba agreed.

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be an S-Class Wizard, too! You just watch me!" Little Romeo said excitedly.

Gildarts smirked as everyone celebrated the nominees. He particularly looked over at Cana, confident that she would at the very least make a decent showing.

"I get it now! Everyone wanted Master to nominate them for the Trial, so they worked their butts off to impress him!"

"I know you can do it, you guys!" Wendy cheered on all of the participants in general, but she was secretly rooting on Simon the most.

"Although eight Wizards have been selected, only one will emerge victorious! The Trial will begin in one week's time, so you'd better step up your preparations!" Makarov continued with the details.

"He's only gonna choose one?" Kinana asked.

"I'd put my money on Freed this year!"

"I've gotta go with Mest!"

"Elfman and Cana are no slouches!"

Kagura, meanwhile, was doing her best to regain her composure. She was happy for Simon… she really was. But Kagura had wanted to test her limits in these Trials! Milliana, bless her, was patting Kagura's shoulder in comfort, but it wasn't enough to quell Kagura's frustrations.

"It's looking like you're finally getting everyone to trust you, Gajeel!" Levy giggled happily as the Iron Dragon Slayer grumbled with a slightly red face.

"You can thank me 'n Erza anytime, Junkyard!" Natsu chuckled with hands on his hips. Gajeel stared slack-jawed as the scarlet knight nodded her head. Apparently, they were impressed with him and what he contributed to the Oracion Seis mission, and had put forth his name.

That… and Makarov was still thankful for his efforts in keeping tabs on his son, Ivan.

"And as usual… everyone loses control!" Carla shook her head, only to freeze as she seemed to be hit with visions of the future. But only brief glimpses.

"Hey, is there something wrong, Carla?"

"N-No… I'm fine." Carla assured the bluenette. _'So strange… what was I seeing?'_

In the next moment, a vision of a raven-haired man entered her mind… For some reason, Carla got bad vibes from him.

 _'Wh-Who was that…?'_ Obviously, she wouldn't receive her answer until later, but there was dread steadily growing in the back of her mind.

"For the benefit of our newcomers, let's go over the rules, shall we?" Makarov asked rhetorically.

"The eight participants will each choose a partner! This person will be allowed to train with them in the week leading up to the event!" Mira explained.

"A partner?" Lucy asked aloud.

"Yeah, it's ultimately a battle between two-person teams." Max supplied for her.

"A big part of it is putting their friendships to the test as well!" Warren added.

"Observe these two rules when choosing your partner!" Erza continued on. "Number one, they must be a member of Fairy Tail! And number two, your choice cannot be an S-Class Wizard!"

"Heh…" Gajeel grunted.

"But that only rules out a handful of people." Panther Lily pointed out. "Erza, Natsu, Mira, Gray, Laxus, and Gildarts… none of them may be chosen."

"Guess a team with those guys would be pretty hard to beat!" Wendy admitted.

"We'll reveal all the particular details of the Trial when we arrive on Tenrou Island!" Makarov spoke up again. "… Though I suppose you are all fortunate that Erza will be unable to proctor this year. Nevertheless, I am assured that Natsu will be putting in twice the effort in her absence."

The Guild seemed _immensely_ relieved that Erza would be out of the running that year… But they immediately panicked upon realizing _Natsu_ would still be an obstacle. Said pink-head was smirking and holding up a fist coated in flames.

"Hey, don't get so worked up over Flamebrain! You're gonna have to get past me, too!" Gray smirked at the gathered Wizards, getting more panicked reactions.

"And I'll be doing my very best to weed out the rest of you right beside these boys!" Mira giggled sweetly, inciting an even bigger riot.

"Hey now… I can't let you guys have all the fun. We're going all-out this year. That means you're gonna need my approval to pass these Trials." Laxus belted out a laugh as there was pure pandemonium in the Guild Hall.

"So the only way someone can become S-Class is by defeating… those guys…?" Lucy squeaked out, quite relieved she hadn't been nominated. Natsu, Gray, Mira, and Laxus were all serious powerhouses…

"But the rumor is that they've been ordered to hold back a little bit." Max pointed out.

"I still don't envy anyone that has to take them on!" Warren chuckled.

"Quit your bellyachin'!" Gildarts barked. "The six of us had to go through this Trial, it's only fair you do, too."

"No way! Does that mean Gildarts is gonna…?!" Elfman yelled out. With the five of them serving as proctors, that was overkill five times over. He was a Real Man, but even Elfman acknowledged just how vigorous these Trials were going to be… Why did Mira hafta reclaim her powers? Elfman lamented how Gray beat him last year… because an even harsher Trial awaited him now.

"You guys better bring it, 'cause I've got a fire in my belly!" Natsu cheered excitedly, fists waving in the air.

"The eight participants I named earlier and their chosen partners are asked to meet in the Port of Hargeon one week from today." Makarov finished off the announcement. "So get to work!"

* * *

While everyone ate in the regular dining area of the Guild Hall, Makarov and all the S-Class Wizards were gathered in a private VIP area on the upper level. It's true that the second level was made more open to the Guild in general, but there were some rooms that not just anyone could enter. They weren't quite being elitist or anything; it's just that Makarov wanted to privately go over those details of the Trials that he hadn't divulged to his S-Class Wizards yet.

"We're setting the bar pretty high, don't ya think?" Gray asked his peers as they sat around a large circular table. "I mean, last year was pretty crazy when Natsu and Erza co-oped a Trial… But still."

Natsu cackled at the memory while Erza smiled fondly.

"That was totally awesome! You 'n Loke were runnin' around like a couple of headless chickens!"

Gray adopted a tick mark on his forehead as he raised a fist at the pink-head.

"Shut it, you damn Pyro! Who places a trigger for a giant boulder at a random corner?! I swear that thing followed us around!"

Erza's smile became the tiniest bit smarmy as she nodded her head.

"If you paid any attention, the flooring was designed as a track for the boulder. The curves designed just so for the boulder to gain a little bit of speed at each turn." From her tone, you could just tell that day had been nothing but a pleasant memory for her.

Gray sweatdropped at the scarlet knight's admission. He'd said it once, and he'd say it again… Natsu and Erza both had some screws loose. Obstacle course his butt. That thing had been do or die!

… Which is technically what S-Class Trials were supposed to be like, but _don't_ tell them that. It would only encourage their insanity.

"Alright, settle down you three." Gildarts smirked. He could perfectly understand their enthusiasm; for Gray, this would be his first time 'on the other side' of the Trials. For Natsu, it was his second time, but he hadn't lost any love for the job. And for Erza, well… She might feel a little left out this year, but she was still happy for her Dragon Slayer and his rival. That, and she was nostalgic of the last Trial.

And as fate would have it, this was Mirajane's second time proctoring, so she wasn't any more experienced than Natsu, Erza, and Gray. Well… Natsu and Erza, anyway.

"So how are they arranged this time, Old Man?" Laxus asked as he locked eyes with Makarov.

The Guild Master looked around the room as they got down to business.

"For their first task, the participants will need to race to shore and select a route leading into the island to navigate through. The webs of tunnels are arranged so that there is a variety of ways participants can pass the First Stage." As he said this, Makarov gestured to a map behind him. "Combat routes are self-explanatory – two teams will clash, but only one will move on. Intense combat routes will be where three of you come into play… The teams that pick your routes will need to fight you in order to pass. And finally, the serenity route… The team lucky enough to find it will not have to fight, but they will still be tested."

"So who wants to take the other two routes? I was gonna volunteer to just get it out of the way. No need to drag out the anticipation of when I come into play." Gildarts grinned.

"I kinda wanna know what the Second Stage is before making a decision…" Gray mused aloud, but Mira shook her head and smiled sweetly.

"Nope! We as leaders of Team Mira are going to take the other two routes! The First Stage has more of a likelihood of us seeing Freed, Elfman, or Juvia, and I wanna see at least one of them!"

"Don't just volunteer me!" Gray shouted with a tick mark on his forehead.

Makarov smiled at their antics.

"Actually, that is exactly what I would have proposed. Natsu and Laxus are perfect for what I have in mind for the Second Stage."

"Oh?" Laxus raised an eyebrow curiously, while Natsu eagerly leaned forward.

"Obstacle course?!"

Makarov coughed into his fist at the memory.

"… No. It is more along the lines of 'capture the flag'… Except instead of merely claiming the flags you protect, the participants will have to take the flags to Mavis's grave. In a way, it's like having two Trials in one, because not only will they have to either overcome you or sneak past you, but they will also need decent tracking skills. Aside from holding back, you two will also be unable to pursue the participants if they manage to acquire your flag; on the other hand, you will be granted permission to be as territorial as you deem fit. Use those keen Dragon Slayer senses to put the participants to the test!"

After a few moments of letting the Second Stage sink in for everyone, Laxus casually cocked his head at the Old Man.

"Not to sound pessimistic, but what if two participants get the flags and take them to Mavis's grave? Are you just gonna have 'em duke it out?"

"As tempting as that would be, I cannot say what sort of shape those participants will be in…" Makarov mused. "I will simply say that the first team there will be determined the winner. The Second Stage will put all of their abilities to the test; not just their ability to fight. In fact, they should be less inclined to fight you after the First Stage. That is one reason I specifically wanted you and Natsu to proctor the Second Stage."

Natsu pouted as Makarov pointed all of this out. So not only would there be no obstacle course, but he wouldn't get to fight?! So unfair! Laxus seemed fine with it, all things considered. It was definitely a change of pace from being in the position Gray, Mira, and Gildarts were in.

"C'mon, Natsu. So you might not get to fight them straight-up… At least consider it as a way to sharpen your other skills." Laxus remarked casually, leaning onto his hand as he rested his elbow on the table. "Just envision the flag as someone important you wanna protect at all costs."

Natsu's face turned blank as Laxus put it in that perspective. Then he grinned widely and nodded his head rapidly while clapping giddily.

"Good point! Those guys are gonna be beggin' for mercy! Hehe!"

Makarov opened his mouth to remind Natsu that he was supposed to hold back… But then thought better of it when **She Who Shows No Mercy** gave him a side glare, highly advising against dampening the Dragon Slayer's spirits. Really, what was the harm in allowing the boy a little freedom to do as he pleased?

… Don't. Answer that.

"So, any ideas who the partners will be?" Mira chirped as all the big decisions seemed to have been made. It was decided they would take a boat the day before the event, while Makarov would travel with the participants on the morning of the Trials.

"I dunno any specific pairs…" Gray trailed off as he proceeded to give his speculation on potential partners.

A process that was going on downstairs as they spoke…

* * *

"Just because we're both members of Team Shadow Gear, don't think I'm gonna go easy on you!" Levy told Gajeel as Team Shadow Gear sat at a table with most of the S-Class candidates – which included Elfman, Simon, Juvia, and Cana. Lisanna, Sho, Wally, Milliana, Wendy, Carla, and Kagura were amongst them as well.

"You'll be eatin' my dust, shorty!" Gajeel told the bluenette confidently. He pointed at his Exceed. "Lily and I are the strongest team, so makin' S-Class is gonna be a snap!"

"Don't underestimate me and Lu-Lu! You can fight, but these Trials are more than just beating opponents into submission!"

"Don't drag me into this!" Lucy whined. She still didn't like the possibility of running across one of the S-Class Wizards… Five different ways to die. Or… er… just get severely beaten.

"It's so weird without Natsu and Erza here…" Lisanna said a bit sadly as she looked down at the table. But then she lifted her head and smiled brightly. "But I'm so proud they're S-Class! Gray, too!"

"M-Maybe it's best if I withdraw…" Juvia fiddled with her coat a bit anxiously. "I-I wouldn't be able to fight Gray, my beloved… And then there's Mira, of course…"

 _'_ _ **LOVE RIVAL!**_ _'_ A voice unbidden screamed in her brain, even though she knew that Mira was in a relationship with Freed…

"Aw, don't say that!" Lucy smiled encouragingly at her. "You were S-Class in Phantom, right? Well, you've totally grown in leaps and bounds since joining Fairy Tail!"

"Blondie's right, Juvia." Gajeel addressed the girl as she started looking a little hopeful – but only a little, because it wasn't really a confidence issue… "Just don't get all mushy with that Stripper. Kick his ass."

Juvia froze as Gajeel said this. Kick… Gray-sama's… ass…? Back in Edolas, Gray-sama's counterpart was head-over-heels for his Juvia, so maybe if she was more assertive (read: dominating)…

"Wow. I didn't know you could encourage someone like that Gajeel." Levy murmured as she watched her fellow bluenette become red in the face and snort out steam at the lewd thoughts running through her mind. Now why couldn't he be more gentlemanly with her?!

"'Course I can, shorty. You just gotta earn my respect first." Gajeel smirked at the bookworm, who puffed out her cheeks in frustration. He was going down…!

"So who are you pairing up with, Simon?" Wendy asked curiously. As usual, the man had been quiet but amicable.

"Well…" Simon scratched his cheek as Kagura eyed him intently. Clearly she wanted to be his partner, and yet… "I was thinking of bringing Wally."

"What!" Kagura let out in shock. "Why not me?!"

Wally held up his hands peacefully as the younger Mikazuchi fixed him with a penetrating glare.

"Easy, easy! It's just… we kinda set up this combo, y'know? We wanted to test it out!"

Simon smiled a bit wryly as Wally put it like that.

"Well, that, and I wanted you to stay here and look after Erza… If someone else wants to choose you for a partner, I won't begrudge them, but I seriously think you would be up for the task." After all, Erza would be feeling miserable while they were gone; Simon would feel a lot better if at least one friendly face stayed behind to keep her company.

Kagura sobered up as Simon explained his reasoning. Leaving Erza behind like that didn't sit well with her either…

"You're right…"

"Don't worry! I'll stay behind, too!" Milliana volunteered, to Simon's relief and gratitude.

"So who are you pairing off with, Cana?" Lucy asked the Cards mage as she sipped her drink. In response, Cana slapped Sho on the shoulder jovially… over and over and over. The blond wincing each time.

"Sho's a good boy! Better hope you don't run into us!"

Sho didn't say anything, but smiled sheepishly at his partner's confidence. Their teamwork _was_ pretty decent.

"How about we pair up, Juvia?" Lisanna asked the Water mage with a smile. "I was friends with the Edolas Juvia, but I think I'll like you much better – you seem so sweet."

"Y-You want to pair with… me…?" Juvia squeaked, to which the silver-haired girl nodded.

"You're pairing with Juvia?!" Elfman exclaimed, feeling a little betrayed.

Lisanna giggled.

"Well, I figured you had a partner, since she was staring at you so fixatedly…"

Everyone at their table turned to the bar where Lisanna was pointing. Evergreen was there, looking distinctly miffed that Freed was off talking with Bickslow. Elfman shivered at the stare… never having felt so thankful her glasses were on.

"Th-That stare… it's petrifying!" The Takeover mage wailed. Just a little. Hey, he was a Real Man. Real Men don't get scared… much.

"That just leaves Mest, I guess…" Lucy mumbled, wondering who the man would choose as his partner. Willingly or not, Cana, Juvia, Elfman, Simon, Freed, Levy, and Gajeel had all picked theirs. Even so… Lucy couldn't help feeling like she didn't know who Mest was at all. There was nothing but a vague notion that she knew him as a Fairy Tail Wizard; no specific memories to call forth, just that maybe she'd seen him around a time or two. And he made the nomination? Weird.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away on the airship belonging to the Dark Guild Grimoire Heart, a certain elite member was finally returning to her Master's side after an extensive infiltration assignment. Ultear Milkovich had served on the Magic Council for as long as Jellal Fernandes had – that is, if the man had survived to this day. Five years is an awfully long time for someone as young as Ultear.

"Well, the job is finished. No complications to report, Master Hades." The raven-haired beauty bowed as she was decorated in a navy blue low-cut dress with separated sleeves. The aged, bearded man smirked at his prized fighter's professionalism. It was something that Fairy Tail distinctly lacked ever since Makarov had taken over.

"Oh, and did you have your fun, dancing the Councilmembers like marionettes? Your exit must not have been very flashy, in comparison to what the original plan was." Hades mused as he stroked his beard. Ultear confirmed that she'd slipped away without giving notice to any of the Council or its affiliates, so in the coming days she would be labelled as 'missing' instead of as a criminal. Hades stared at the raven-haired beauty curiously. "I must say, it was a surprise when you wanted to make a small change to that Tower of Heaven fiasco."

Ultear bowed apologetically this time.

"Apologies, Master, I thought…" She stopped when Hades waved his hand dismissively.

"I am not angry – quite the contrary. You were quite correct in your analysis; an enemy we know intimately is better than a changing of the guard that results in new enemies we are clueless about. Your request merely caught me off-guard. Such a pity that Brain's pride got the best of him." The elderly man smirked again at Ultear's ill-disguised glee at the man's downfall. Though the Balam Alliance was _supposed_ to be a tightly knit, fiercely loyal group, Hades supposed there was nothing wrong indulging in 'revenge' every once in a while. Given Ultear's history with that man, it was almost inevitable for something to happen; they were just fortunate that Ultear's betrayal could not be traced back to them by Tartaros – Ultear had been quite cautious. "That said… The time has come for us to mobilize. We have all the keys, and recently we have acquired Zeref's location. The Grand Magic World is almost within our grasp."

Hades noted an almost immediate shift in Ultear's demeanor. Gone was the nearly feral grin that came with the thought of Brain imprisoned; there was now a dark gleam of interest in Ultear's eyes at the mere mention of their goal – more specifically, the Dark Wizard Zeref.

"Yes… you mentioned he was on Tenrou Island of all places." The Arc of Time user mused. "So peculiar, a mage of his caliber on the 'sacred ground' of a guild like Fairy Tail. Does Makarov have ties to Zeref that we do not know of?"

Hades chuckled mirthfully at the circumstances, shaking his head at Ultear's theory.

"I doubt that boy has anything to do with Zeref's presence on Tenrou. He is too blinded by the light side of Magic; the mere thought of his 'interest' in Zeref's body is laughable. No, I believe fortune is smiling down upon us – for in one week's time, Makarov and his children will be holding their S-Class Trials. It will be the perfect opportunity to strike. We will acquire Zeref while we annihilate the brightest that Fairy Tail has to offer. Such a momentous occasion demands that every member of Grimoire Heart be in attendance – our ordinary forces, the Seven Kin of Purgatory, and Bluenote Stinger. Makarov cannot hope to stand against such overwhelming odds, especially when I crush him personally!"

A series of complex emotions flitted through Ultear's eyes as Hades proudly gloated. In the end, she simply smirked back at her leader.

"A battle between devils and fairies, hmm? Perhaps 'massacre' defines the coming conflict more eloquently?"

"My thoughts exactly, Ultear. That island shall run red in seven days' time – prepare yourself. The rest of our forces will be returning to base in the coming days, including young Meldy."

For the briefest of moments, Ultear's eyes flashed with something other than arrogance or cruelty. Though it could have been a trick of the light in that dimly lit airship…

* * *

 **Author's Note: So! I caved. I had, like, ninety percent of this written by the time I got that Edolas Chapter out last time, simply because I was so excited for this coming arc. Doesn't mean we're done with Edolas; I don't quite know when I'll get the rest of that mini-arc out, but I'll write when inspiration hits. Inspiration just hit me hard for the last few pages here. Yay for meetings of criminal minds! -_-**

 **Anyhoo. I'm sure you've got looots of questions! … And if you didn't read that in Zero III's voice, I will be disappointed. :P Similar to Oracion Seis, this arc will blend old elements and new elements alike; some stuff will just happen like it did in canon. Some stuff happens for different reasons (here's lookin' at you, Mest…). And some stuff… well! You'll just hafta wait and see how it all turns out. My fingers are twitching at the opportunity to shatter a huge assumption y'all are gonna make going into this. Plot twist coming! Who knows when it'll happen? :D**

 **I'm just going to go out on a limb and call it good for the Gajeel poll. Sorry for those who wanted a change in the pairing, but it looks like Gajevy stays with a solid nine votes behind it, while Kagura got three votes, and 'Other' got two (still disappointed no one came forward with their suggestions). I give ya the power to vote, and in the end we stick with pairings I originally threw up there (Gruvia, Mira x Freed, Gajevy). Sorry again for those who wanted change, but I gotta honor the poll! Hope you won't be too distraught. The story's not about the pairings anyway; it's about telling an engaging story, at least for me. ^^**


	25. Chapter 25

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

"I'm going to miss you…"

"Erza… can't… breathe…" Natsu grinned weakly as the redhead suffocated him with a bone-crushing hug. He did his best to return the gesture, but as stated… it was quite the embrace. Typical Erza.

It was the evening before the S-Class Trials, and the proctors were all gathered at Hargeon Port to be shipped out to the island ahead of the trial-goers. Erza, Kagura, Milliana, and Makarov were seeing them off.

"Now remember," Makarov lightly lectured his grandson, "You and Natsu have free reign of the Island until the First Trial is over, but you should probably get into position around noon. Better to be early than late."

"I know, I know. No need to tell me twice." Laxus grunted in irritation. "It's Natsu you should…"

"I am telling you _precisely_ because of that boy." Makarov replied dryly. "It will be up to you to make sure both of you are in position when the Second Trial starts. I can yell at Natsu until I'm blue in the face, and he'll still 'forget' about his obligation if allowed to roam freely."

The blond sighed breezily, knowing full well that his Gramps' concerns were warranted. Hell, knowing the Pyro, he would beat all the beasts into submission if left unchecked… Best to keep the guy on a leash.

"I got it." Laxus scowled. Great. He was hoping for a little vacation with these Trials, but it looked like he'd be 'babysitting' instead. Gramps wouldn't appreciate it if the Pyro irreparably destroyed the ruins that were left standing there…

Makarov, meanwhile, felt much lighter now that _his_ vacation time wasn't spoiled.

"Keep an eye on Simon and the others." Kagura addressed Mira and Gray – well, Mira more, considering Gray was laughing his ass off at Natsu's pain. The Pyro was still locked in an embrace with his wife, obviously.

"We will." Mira smiled sweetly. "At latest, we'll be back day after tomorrow, so you won't need to wait too long to know if anyone got promoted."

Mira giggled as Kagura grumbled at the potential visions of Simon making the cut. He had his work cut out for him, but it would be just like her brother to beat the odds. Milliana, meanwhile, was bidding farewell to Happy… a farewell he frankly could've gone without, but what you gonna do? Chicks dig blue tomcats.

"Looks like everything's ready." Gildarts announced from the boat they'd be taking. It wasn't nearly as big as the one that the trial-goers would be taking, but it'd get them where they needed to go. "We should probably get there before night falls."

"Sounds good!" Mira replied as she and Gray said their goodbyes and followed Laxus. Natsu shared one last look with Erza and grinned.

"We'll make it back, 'kay? I'll make sure to buy ya loads of strawberry cake later, 'n tell ya all about it."

"I'll hold you to that." Erza told him in a mock-stern voice as she hugged him one more time. "Just… come back safe."

Natsu rubbed her back and kissed the nape of her neck, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine. When he pulled back and looked into her eyes, Erza felt like she could fall in love with him all over again.

"Halfway there, right? Five more months 'n our kid will be born. I can't wait!"

Erza beamed at his enthusiasm. She brought a hand over her womb and rubbed it soothingly.

"… You're right. Five more months." She leaned in to kiss him goodbye, which the Dragon Slayer ecstatically returned. Then, they were off, and Makarov and the girls returned to Magnolia…

* * *

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, the Trial participants were shipped out to Tenrou Island and the rules were explained to them. From there, Makarov kickstarted a race that caught most of the participants off-guard. As a result, the other seven teams were caught up in an Enchantment cast by Freed to keep them on the boat for five more minutes.

"Why, you… Dirty rotten…!" Gajeel growled and pounded on the Enchantment wall while Lily held him up in the air.

"That's cheating!" Elfman growled.

"I don't understand why you don't just trap 'em there all day!" Bickslow laughed as he and Freed flew off.

"It wouldn't be much of a Trial then…" Freed mused.

Lisanna had her face plastered against the Enchantment wall as she tried to get beyond it, but of course the Spell held.

"Tell me that breaks some rule!" Cana yelled as she looked back at Makarov, who merely grinned.

"Chill! It's not a race, so just wait!"

"If he gets to the island first, we're screwed! He could cover the whole place with Enchantments!" Lucy complained.

"Wait… couldn't Levy get us out?" Panther Lily asked more for the sake of his partner, who was still hammering away at the magical wall.

"Mm-hm!" Levy giggled as she used a magical pen to rewrite the Enchantment. "Piece of cake!"

"Nice!" Cana and Sho chorused as they were closest to the bluenette. However, she looked back at them and winked.

"Sorry! I only rewrote it for me 'n Lulu!" Levy called back as she and Lucy hopped down into the water. Cana, Sho, Mest, and Wendy watched on with gobsmacked faces as they became the Second Place team in their little 'race'.

"NOT COOL!" The four of them chorused.

"So much for 'Team' Shadow Gear…" Gajeel groused. Levy just looked back at him with a smirk.

"Not today! Later 'taters!"

"What a bunch of traitors…" Gajeel glared at Levy and Lucy's backs.

On the other side of the boat, Evergreen also made heads' way in lifting Freed's Enchantment, looking quite smarmy as she did so.

"Now, aren't you glad you teamed up with someone who knows Freed so well, muscleman?" Evergreen smirked at the Takeover mage.

"I didn't know you could that!" Elfman laughed.

"Rewriting something as this is child's play! Someone of my talents could handle the toughest of Enchantments with ease!" With that said, the young woman finished her work and leaped down into the water. "Let's go!"

"Manly dive!" Elfman followed her, making them the third team to get off the boat.

"Oh, come on!" Gajeel raged as the boat was rapidly getting emptied.

Wally turned to Simon and cocked his head.

"Do ya think you could…?"

Simon crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure if Freed knows me that well… Maybe…" As if reaching some sort of conclusion, Simon nodded and cast a Magic Circle above their heads. In the next moment, Simon and Wally vanished from the ship, leaving an even more agitated Iron Dragon Slayer behind.

"Your friends can do that?!" Cana looked to Sho in both annoyance and a modicum of respect. Sho rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"When we were working for… _him_ …" Sho absolutely refused to speak 'his' name. "He gave Simon a teleportation Spell to make the extraction easier. Of course, we never got to use it because Sister talked sense into us, but… Well, Simon still knows it. Sorry."

Cana huffed in exasperation but didn't otherwise give him a hard time. Simon was his friend, so he didn't have to divulge his secrets… Oh wait, yes he did. Because Simon was her competitor! Argh. What's done is done.

"Remind me to have Simon around the next time I piss off Freed…" The brunette grumbled with no real acid behind it. She just couldn't stay mad at Sho.

Five minutes later, the Enchantment disappeared, and the remaining four competitors and their partners were finally allowed to join the race.

"Once you hit the water, go all out!" Cana told Sho, who confirmed he got it and ran alongside her.

"Let's do this!" Gajeel roared, and Lily scooped him up and flew off toward Tenrou, rocketing ahead what was left of the stranded competition.

"I'm very fast at sea, are you sure you can keep up?!" Juvia asked of Lisanna, who smiled back at her in the water.

"Of course!"

"Never thought I'd envy a fish…" Cana sighed as she and Sho floated in the water by the boat. Sho shook her shoulder in alarm.

"If we don't hurry, we'll be the last ones there!"

"Don't be silly, Wendy and Mest haven't even left the ship yet!" As the brunette and blond looked back up, the aforementioned duo was gone, alarming both Cana and Sho. "When did they leave?! If we don't get a move on, we're going to end up fighting Mira or worse!"

Like Gildarts, for example…

"We're dead!" Sho moaned as he remembered the destructive silver-haired bombshell.

Meanwhile, Gajeel finally reached the shore where the smoke was rising from. As expected, half the routes were taken up by Freed, Levy, Elfman, Simon, and their partners. Still, four options were better than being the last pair there.

"Do you feel that? There's so much magical energy!" Panther Lily remarked as they took a moment to survey the island. Gajeel nodded before charging toward the tunnels that were left open for them.

"Let's go!"

"But which one should we go with?!" Lily wondered.

"Like I really care at this point." Gajeel grumbled, noticing tunnels A, B, E, and H were taken up. That meant either they were in for a scrap with one of the competing teams, or quite possibly one of the S-Classers. … Gajeel's kind of odds, really. "Screw it! Let's just do D!"

That said, the pair of Dragon Slayer and Exceed went through the tunnel, which brought up an Enchantment to seal off their path behind them. A little while later, Cana and Sho finally made it to shore, and were quite disappointed.

"Looks like we're dead-last." Cana sighed. "I can't believe even Wendy and Mest got here before we did."

Sho walked toward Cana and tried to reassure his partner.

"Don't worry! With seven paths chosen, there's a high chance that the S-Class Wizards have been taken up!"

Cana offered a small grin at that.

"Y-Yeah… You're right. They've saved the best for last! We've got good looks and good luck!" Cana bucked up. After all, _she_ was normally the one that had to stay chipper; based on his history, Sho didn't have much experience being optimistic, so she was glad that he was at least making an effort for her.

"I didn't expect the cave to be so lit up…" Sho mused as they walked through the tunnel.

"Probably all the spirit flies, since the island stays warm all year. They multiply like rabbits."

"You two… Not quite ones for subtlety, are you?"

Cana and Sho froze as they took in Mest and Wendy. Of all the people they could've run into…

"So was it worth it?! Racing all the way here, only to fight us anyway." Cana taunted her fellow competitor, to which he rolled his eyes. "Sorry about this, Wendy, but this is my fifth time with Trials! I gotta pass this time."

Wendy smiled meekly at the Cards mage.

"I understand… But Mest is my partner, and I gotta help him, too!"

Cana nodded in determination, while Sho looked on nervously. He didn't know Mest, and he only knew Wendy in passing; yet she was on Sister's team, so that was good enough for him to know she was a nice person. Even so… Cana was his partner, his first real friend outside of Sister and her team. He'd do everything in his power to help her earn the promotion she'd been seeking for years.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Route C, Juvia and Lisanna were locked in a most unfortunate confrontation… for Juvia, that is.

"Huh. Figures that you'd pick this route, Juvia; it plays to your element, after all. But… It kinda plays into mine, as well. Wouldn't you say?"

"Crap! Why didn't I think of that?!" Lisanna exclaimed as she looked between the hyperventilating bluenette and the cocky Gray Fullbuster. They'd picked this route because it was essentially a sewage tunnel, which gave Juvia plenty of water to use, but she should've considered the negative possibilities as well. Gray _is_ S-Class. Damn it.

"G-G-GRAY-SAMA!" Juvia wailed at her plight. This is exactly what she wanted to avoid. Earlier when she saw his mug shot on the map with Mira and Gildarts, her heart sank as her chances of meeting him in battle increased from twenty percent to thirty three percent. And now, here they were… Oh, what a cruel twist of fate.

"C'mon, Juvia! We can beat him!" Lisanna shook her head when Juvia gazed at her with a lost expression. "Gray's not Gildarts, and he's not my big sister! Heck, he became S-Class just last year! You were S-Class, too, remember?! So let's beat him!"

Gray scoffed at Lisanna's impassioned speech.

"If you use that logic, Flamebrain and Erza aren't that much better than me. Listen. How long you're S-Class doesn't mean squat. In two years, those two gained a reputation as some of our most destructive Wizards; hell, Flamebrain is a damn Wizard Saint, and as much as I _hate_ acknowledging that, it's the truth as far as Gramps and the Council are concerned. I'm S-Class, so that should be more than enough to keep you on your toes."

Lisanna huffed as Gray killed her attempts at building up Juvia's confidence. Of course she knew all that; Mira was already in her second year as an S-Class Wizard by the time she got sent to Edolas. Mira was the youngest to have made the title of S-Class in so many years. Age, length of time, none of that mattered in the long run.

On the other hand…

"You're still not Gildarts or Mira," Lisanna said in a singsong voice, which garnered a tick mark from Gray.

"That's 'cause I'm my own man! You wanna go underestimating me, fine! I'll wipe the floor with both of you!"

Lisanna smiled at Gray's response. He and Natsu were a lot alike, but unlike Natsu, Gray was more concerned with making people acknowledge Gray Fullbuster. While that was true of Natsu Dragneel as well, the loveable Pyro also had a habit of setting the bar high – kicking Erza's ass, stomping Gildarts, even beating the Master. The pink-head could sometimes get lost in their reputations while overlooking what Gray just passionately proclaimed – that he was his own man.

And as the young Takeover mage looked over at Juvia, her grin widened. There was a fire in the bluenette's eyes that hadn't been there moments ago. Good. She wasn't just going to throw in the towel… or at least Lisanna hoped she wouldn't.

"G-Gray-sama… Juvia will kick your ass! Juvia is not the same as she was in Phantom!" The bluenette wildly shook her head while glaring fiercely at Gray. The Ice Make mage merely smirked at her attitude.

"'Bout time. I thought Lisanna would be fighting your battles for you." Gray began prepping an Ice Make Spell. " _You're_ the participant, after all. If you lack confidence, you're never gonna move forward. But you're also gonna need more than that to get the promotion…"

Juvia snorted out steam through her nostrils and began to take control of the water. She would prove herself right here and now to Gray-sama… No, not just him, but Lisanna, too. And Master Makarov for allowing her to join Fairy Tail. All of her friends since joining the guild, really.

With the stage set, the three mages began their match…

* * *

On Route E, Gildarts stood over Simon and Wally after having beaten back their assault. The Crash mage was only a little disappointed he didn't get one of the cuties participating in the Trials – like Mirajane's little sister, or Cana (c'mon, his daughter was a sight to behold, admit it). Still, he was a proctor, and he was gonna do his job, just as he had done in years past.

He didn't really expect a pair of long-range Magic users, though. Simon was particularly surprising with his Dark Moment Spell – very versatile. Throw in Wally's 'Polygon Rifle', and they actually got Gildarts to move a little from the explosive attacks they unleashed. Furthermore, when Gildarts's attacks weren't too wide sweeping, the pair could avoid his attacks and keep the battle going for a while.

Nevertheless, when they actually succeeded in pushing him back a few feet, the Crash mage decided to demonstrate their combos weren't as effective as they thought. He gave them a taste of what he could be like going at full power; Simon's Dark Moment Spell was rendered ineffective as Gildarts's power lit up the cavern, and both were intimidated into submission. Gildarts immediately ceased his display when they accepted their defeat.

He did correct their understanding of the outcome of the Trial, however.

"While I do admire those courageous enough to face their enemies… it must be said that the most courageous are those exceptional few who know when to stand down. Simon. Wally. There is nothing wrong with feeling fear. After all, how else would we come to understand our own weaknesses? You need to know them in order to become a stronger and gentler person. A necessity for those who want to become S-Class. Now that I've shared this knowledge with you… You pass, kid."

Simon blinked in astonishment as he stared at up at Gildarts. A man who was an idol to Natsu and Erza. The elder Mikazuchi, at first, had expected to walk down Route E and possibly clash with another competing team; when he realized that Gildarts would be their opponent, Simon had gone into the fight with the mindset that he would lose. There was no other possibility. Loss translated to failing the Trial, and he would be shipped back to Hargeon soon after. That was all there was to it. He wasn't Kagura, and he most certainly wasn't Natsu or Erza. Being selected for the Trials had been one helluva surprise, because Simon had a support role on Team Crimson Flame, he wasn't one of the heavy hitters.

"But… we didn't beat you…" Wally mumbled from Simon's side as they looked up at the Crash mage in awe.

"Don't argue with me! I'm your examiner, and I say you've passed." Gildarts assured the two. When Simon looked off to the side somewhat doubtfully, he shrugged his shoulders lazily. "Simon, I know how you're feeling all too well. You consider yourself as support for Natsu and Erza, as well as a close friend that would do anything for them if it was within your power. But at your current level of Magic, you think that's all you'll ever amount to. But let me tell you somethin'. You weren't nominated on a whim or because Natsu and Erza put in a good word for you; S-Class Wizards can make recommendations, but that's all they can do. Master has the final say. Do you remember his criteria when selecting candidates?

Simon frowned slightly as he recalled the Master's announcement. Of course he could remember that; Simon supposed it was just easy to think of these Trials as a tournament where only the strongest moved forward. Gildarts smiled as dawning realization came to Simon's face.

"That's right. Possessing powerful Magic isn't the be-all, end-all. One thing I can truly appreciate is your commitment and loyalty to your friends and your team. _That's_ what drives you and gives you a thirst for victory, a burning desire to stand up against the mightiest of opponents; I know, 'cause I have it, too. You don't wanna lose, because that means letting them down. But as I'm sure you've learned by now, losing isn't the end, so long as you can pick yourself up and keep moving forward, striding to become the best Wizard you can be." The Crash mage grinned down at the elder Mikazuchi. "Now… go become S-Class! This is only the beginning for what Master has in store for you, but I bet you can overcome whatever else he has planned. Go and kick that Pyro's ass!"

Simon smiled tentatively up at the Crash mage before standing back up, Wally following suit. Well, he certainly didn't feel like he was on Gildarts's level, but Simon would do his best to live up to the man's expectations. Every other member of Team Crimson Flame believed in him, too… Even Wendy and Natsu.

* * *

Later, Cana, Gajeel, Elfman, Simon, and their partners were all gathered in a clearing with a nearby spring after having cleared their routes. Elfman and Evergreen were the last ones to show, as far as they knew.

"Somehow I knew you two would make it past the first round. Congratulations." Cana grinned at the Takeover mage, who flexed his muscles proudly. Evergreen simply smirked.

"We were lucky to get the Serenity Route." Panther Lily remarked casually with arms crossed as he nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Lucky?!" Gajeel roared with a tick mark on his head. "But I didn't get to beat up a single person!"

"Wow. So we were the only ones able to clear the first round?" Elfman asked as he looked between the three other teams. "I mean, we were lucky to battle Levy and Lucy, but still…"

Gajeel immediately changed his tune when Elfman revealed that, standing up with hands on his hips as he did so.

"Heh! Looks like shortstuff wasn't up to the task after all! So much for 'you need more than power'!"

While Gajeel got his three chuckles out of that, Makarov walked up to the four teams with hands behind his back.

"Alright, I believe all our winners are here, now…"

"Oh yeah!" Cana cheered.

Makarov smiled at the participants, opening his eyes.

"Well, in that case, these are the results thus far! Cana and Sho defeated Mest and Wendy in combat! Nicely done!"

"Ya gotta feel bad for Mest…" Elfman muttered, before shrugging. "Eh, better that Cana passed, though. She's been at it for longer than him."

"Simon and Wally surmounted the obstacle known as Gildarts! Good job!"

"NO WAY!" Elfman, Evergreen, Cana, and Gajeel all exclaimed in shock.

"Gajeel and Panther Lily chose the Serenity Route. Well, aren't you lucky?"

"Well, I think it's sucky!" Gajeel grumbled quite loudly.

"And Elfman and Evergreen defeated Levy and Lucy in combat! Way to go, you two!"

"What about Freed and Juvia? They didn't make it through the first round?" Cana mused aloud. Makarov adopted a horrified expression, causing the Cards mage to back up a little. "What's with the creepy look?!"

"Unfortunately, luck was not on Freed and Bickslow's side today… Their route led to She Who Shows No Mercy!"

"Uh… wasn't that Erza's designated title?" Elfman mumbled, only for Makarov to shake his head.

"Well, she isn't here today, and Mira indeed showed no mercy… Freed made a valiant effort by distracting her with a proposal, but Mirajane wasn't having that, after hearing about Natsu's proposal to Erza…"

"That… sucks…" Cana sweatdropped. No, really, what had Freed been thinking by popping that question now of all times? Sure, it was a distraction, but it was a _terrible_ one in this instance.

"What about Juvia and Lisanna?" Evergreen mused thoughtfully. Cana rubbed her chin.

"Well, by process of elimination… that leaves… Oh _crap_ , that's gotta suck for her." The Cards mage sweatdropped again as Gray's visage came to mind. She'd be lucky if he went easy at all.

"I feel sorry for them…" Panther Lily mused. Gajeel smirked.

"I coulda taken him, but those two had no chance! Juvia really needs to just let him go!"

"Really, Gajeel…? You didn't believe in Juvia…?" Juvia pouted as she and Lisanna entered the clearing looking somewhat battered, but otherwise ready for another round. Gajeel stared at the Water mage with wide, disbelieving eyes. She actually _did it_?!

"Didn't think a woman could set aside her feelings, did ya?" Lisanna giggled at everyone's gobsmacked expressions. Sure, Gray wasn't a pushover, but she could tell the Ice Make mage was holding back a bit as the Master had requested. But Juvia really was a force of nature when she was fully invested in a battle. Gray simply had to concede that she had to move on after the relentless attacks sent his way. Such was Juvia's will to dominate her 'Gray-sama'.

Though Lisanna could also tell it'd been quite hard for Juvia to adopt this mindset. She was still quite head-over-heels for the Ice Make mage.

Makarov cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Back to the Trial. As it stands, there are five teams left – Simon and Wally, Juvia and Lisanna, Gajeel and Panther Lily, Cana and Sho, and Elfman and Evergreen. Congratulations! Now, let's move onto the second round."

"Better hope you don't hafta fight us! 'Cause Simon's gonna make S-Class by the end of the day!" Wally taunted the competition.

Sho smiled meekly at that, but Cana snorted challengingly at the notion.

"No way! I'm gonna do whatever it takes and catch back up to Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Mira!"

"Challenge accepted, 'cause I'm a Real Man, baby!"

"Hehe!" Gajeel snickered. "Big talk for a bunch of wimps!"

"JUVIA IS BOILING!" The Water mage screamed uncharacteristically.

"Listen! I'm about to give instructions for the second part! The next stage for the S-Class Trials starts now!" Makarov announced as a cool breeze blew through the area, getting everyone to sober up. Natsu and Laxus were still going to be obstacles, so all they'd managed to do was clear the first hurdle… Now comes the hard part.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two aforementioned Dragon Slayers were parting ways to head back to their designated positions. Surprisingly, Natsu hadn't done all that much to warrant Laxus's supervision; he'd gone to check out Mavis's grave, and in the process he'd overheard Gildarts's pep talk to Simon and Wally. The Pyro had a feeling that the Crash mage knew he was there, and had given the speech for him as well, as a reminder of what being S-Class meant. Nevertheless, Natsu had never been more 'fired up' in his life than this moment; he was so ready to battle his friends. That might sound harsh, but Natsu totally believed they were ready to take on his A-game. If Gramps would make an exception like he did for him 'n Erza, Natsu would probably promote everyone gutsy enough to take him on.

But Gramps liked quality, and Natsu didn't have too much of a say in the promotion. They'd just have to play by Gramps's rules. Laxus certainly had no problems. Mighta been put out that Freed made a dumbass mistake like proposing to Mira in the middle of a Trial, but otherwise didn't complain. Natsu, meanwhile, felt no shame that he'd set the bar ridiculously high for guys in relationships at the guild. Erza deserved the proposal she got, y'know?

At any rate. Natsu and Laxus were up-to-date on who was left standing, and they were ready to fulfill their roles as proctors. Little did Natsu know that the first person he'd be encountering wouldn't be a Trial participant, however…

* * *

Wendy, meanwhile, was sobbing and crying her heart out that she had failed Mest.

"If you keep that up, you'll run out of tears…" Mest lightly teased to alleviate Wendy's mood.

"I'm sorry… I can't stop!"

"Listen, Wendy… Let me ask you something. Makarov said this island was considered Fairy Tail's sacred ground; do you know why?"

The bluenette blinked as she looked over at Mest, who was sitting next to her.

"Well, yeah, I think so. It's because this is where the Guild's First Master is buried."

"Yeah…" Mest trailed off uncertainly. "Although that can't be the _only_ reason. Tenrou is protected by a powerful forcefield that hides it from outsiders. Apparently it's _impossible_ to find no matter what kind of Magic you use. Mavis was special, but I don't think they'd go to such lengths to hide her grave. Supposedly there is a major secret regarding the Fairy Tail Guild. It's hidden somewhere on this island."

"Do you know what the secret is?" Wendy asked curiously as Mest stood back up, dusting himself off.

"Nope, no idea! So what do you say? Do you wanna go do some exploring?" Mest asked with curious eyes. Wendy smiled brightly at the suggestion. Master never said they couldn't explore if they lost in the Trials, so why not have a look around? Surely a little exploring couldn't hurt anyone.

Mest, while he kept a kind face on, had somewhat different thoughts running through his head.

 _'I know Councilor Ultear said the Fairy Tail Guild had nothing to hide… But it is suspicious that Grimoire Heart would even know how to find this place. If Fairy Tail has_ anything _to hide, we'll remove two headaches for the Council today. Surely Ultear can't fault me for being cautious. She's sharp, but what if something slipped her attention? Like Councilor Yajima, she's been known to have a soft spot for these Fairies, no matter how hard she tries to play coy.'_

This decided, Mest set out with Wendy to explore Tenrou…

* * *

"So let me get this straight… you _let_ Juvia beat you?!" Mira shouted in disbelief as she pointed a ladle at Gray accusingly. The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes.

"I didn't 'let' her do anything. Kami. I'm sure that's how Lisanna spun it to the others, but Juvia did earn my 'seal of approval'. She put up way more of a fight than she did when she was with Phantom. I guess your influence has really helped her along."

Mira smirked playfully.

"Well, maybe she's grown a spine! No more lip from her man."

Gray groaned at Mira's antics, while Levy and Lucy giggled. It wasn't like that at all. Yeah, Juvia had grown, but so had he, damn it. Unlike Mira, he respected Gramps's wish for them to hold back; if all of them went all-out, the participants would feel inadequate after being 'passed'. Gildarts was an exception because, well… Nobody went toe-to-toe with Gildarts unless you were Gramps, Natsu, and _maybe_ Erza – though frankly, Gildarts would probably still wipe the floor with Natsu and Erza. Gildarts was always going to 'go easy'; whether you passed his Trial was entirely up to you and your character. Simon obviously made the cut.

"So what about Freed? Heard you shut him down pretty hard." Gray grunted when Mira adopted a dark look.

"The less said about _him_ , the better." Mira paused as she casually tapped the ladle on her open palm and glanced up briefly. "Though he and I _will_ be having a 'talk' when he wakes up…"

"Uh-oh, sounds like someone's in the doghouse." Levy giggled. Lucy and Gray sweatdropped at the unholy fires that intensified in Mira's eyes.

"I thought Freed was one of the smart ones, y'know? Not a bonehead like Flamebrain." Gray remarked dryly. Said 'bonehead' and his partner were still conked out from the righteous beatdown that Mira delivered for his 'inexcusable' delay tactic. Gildarts, kindly saint that he was, decided to wait around 'til they woke up; then the Crash mage would whisk them away from the demon woman that could give a real live dragon a run for its money.

Right now that Crash mage was off… fishing. Yeah, real supportive that one. Couldn't even be bothered to sit around the griping she-devil.

"Have you already thought about how many kids you're gonna have with Freed?" Lucy asked the silver-haired barmaid curiously. The S-Class mage puffed out her cheeks in a mix of annoyance and frustration.

"That is a long way off at this point. I'm half-tempted to lock him and Natsu in a room together when this is all done so that he can learn what it's like to be a Real Boyfriend and Future Husband."

Lucy sweatdropped and laughed nervously. Knowing Mira, she would actually do that. The question is, would that be effective, or would that backfire on her?

"By the way, where's Mest and Wendy?" Levy wondered aloud, as that team had yet to return to camp.

Mira sobered up at that.

"Yeah… they should be here by now."

"Probably just forgot we were supposed to meet up here." Gray mumbled. At this, Mira set down the ladle and took off her apron.

"You guys stay here and guard the tent. I'm gonna go out and look for 'em."

Gray stood up and stretched.

"I'll come with. Two heads are better than one, y'know?" He sweatdropped at Mira's slightly chiding look.

"You're gonna leave Lucy and Levy here on their lonesome?" Mira pouted.

Gray cursed under his breath about Mira's shenanigans. If it wasn't Juvia, she'd always be on his case about _some_ girl or another.

"What are you talking about? Gildarts is close by, and it's not like Lucy's defenseless. Loke's always with her."

"That's right." Said Lion Spirit nodded his head as he randomly decided to appear in their midst, throwing his arms around Lucy's suddenly tense shoulders. "You got nothing to worry about!"

"… Now I'm worried." Mira's pout instantly transformed into a scowl. Loke might've been a trusted ally, but he was a womanizer. Deciding this arrangement was… tolerable, Mira set out with Gray to find Mest and Wendy, unaware that events were going to escalate quite quickly…

* * *

"This is a momentous day, indeed!" Hades, Guild Master of Grimoire Heart, sneered as nearly every member of his Dark Guild was present. He was sitting on a throne, surveying them all. "If all goes well, we shall see the return of the Black Wizard Zeref! The ambitions of Grimoire Heart will no longer be a fantasy! Now that we've gathered all the necessary keys, we will awaken that which sleeps within Zeref!"

"Master, you're overlooking the opposition!" Ultear said as she held up one of her crystal balls. "Our plans can still come crashing down around us, should Fairy Tail decide to intervene. They defeated one of the Balam Alliance's most powerful Guilds, the Oracion Seis… The strongest among them are currently gathered on Tenrou Island. Awakening Zeref won't be a simple task!"

"Enough with all the wimpy talk! That sad bunch of weaklings shouldn't even be called a Guild!" A blond man stepped forward and raised a pointer finger mockingly. "I've got more power in this finger!"

Suddenly, black flames burst to life around the man, and he belted out maniacal laughter.

"When I'm done with them, they'll be ashes beneath my boots!"

"Beware of overconfidence, Zancrow." Ultear chided her comrade. He, too, was a member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory.

"Never underestimate one's opponent!" A goat man agreed with the Kin's Leader. "Even so… I have faith we will win this battle."

"I couldn't agree more, Caprico." A silver-haired man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I, uh… well… yeah…" A big chubby man next to him had his arms crossed and looked somewhat spacy.

"At last we will unleash our ultimate desires!" The silver-haired man continued. He waxed poetically, "Our war drums beat against their cages and cry for violence! We shall dance the waltz of death to their rhythm!"

"Oooh… Ifeelthesameway!" The chubby man eccentrically raised his hand in agreement. Zancrow rolled his eyes at the man.

"No one understands you, tubby!"

A pink-haired girl appeared next to them.

"Kain Hikaru's statement deciphered as follows… 'I feel the same way!' Is that correct?"

Kain pointed at her giddily.

"Yeah, that's it!"

The pink-haired girl continued.

"Rusty Rose's previous statements deciphered… Desires mean wants… War drums refers to hearts…"

"Meldy, will you be joining us?" Ultear asked the girl who only offered a side glance in return.

"In battle? … Yes."

"I am delighted!" Hades chuckled as he stood up. "No one will be able to withstand our might, not even Fairy Tail! Their strongest Wizards will soon know the power of true darkness, the eminence that lurks within the abyss. For we are Grimoire Heart! We've walked the path of devils and will force this world into the darkness! Tonight these Devils will bathe Tenrou Island in the blood of Fairies! I'm looking forward to the agony on Makarov's face. Our showdown against the Fairy Tail Guild starts now!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I** _ **was**_ **going to end the chapter with Azuma facing off against his opponents, but… Already running 'long' as-is, and besides, I'm looking forward to writing out that battle a bit. Not to mention Ultear's run-in with the Dragneel sibs. Ultear's fun to write. ^^**

 **So I know I changed up the routes a bit from what they were in canon, but eventually I just said 'screw it', as my eyeballing the routes from the view Natsu gave us when he arrived turned out imperfect. Still, it was close-ish. Planning out who went where was a bit of a headache, but I got it down. Sorta. Poor Gajeel. XD Also, Simon's teleportation – I took some liberties with that, I know, but dang it, nothing explained who cast the Teleportation Spell that got Team Jellal out of Akane Resort's Casino. Maybe it required all four of them, I just threw the Spell under Simon's skillset, though perhaps later Sho, Wally, and Milliana will be able to use it, too – albeit not as well as Simon.**

 **And we shed a bit of light on Mest. I wonder what Ultear's up to? XD**


	26. Chapter 26

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

Natsu's ears twitched as he picked up someone's footsteps as dead leaves crunched beneath their feet. He punched his open palm excitedly and jumped from the boulder he was sitting on. He was starting to get bored, hearing everyone run around like headless chickens as the island's wildlife chased after them (it was funny for the first five minutes, but then it just got dull…). When Natsu took a whiff of the air, however, he failed to recognize the scent of the approaching person, which caused Natsu to narrow his eyes. No one should be here except members of Fairy Tail.

As the strange man emerged from the forest, Natsu blinked as he took in the man's visage. He looked fairly young, had short, tame black hair and he wore some strange robe with a white sash. Natsu also didn't miss the first word that escaped the man's lips as he halted in his stride and looked at the Dragon Slayer in shock.

"Natsu…"

Happy flew over his pal as he realized his 'reconnaissance' for the pink-head failed to perceive this new guy approaching.

"Who is this guy, Natsu?! And why is he crying?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes as he took the stranger in with his eyes. He definitely wasn't normal. Why was he here on Tenrou, and why _was_ he crying? None of this was making sense.

"Hey! Only members of Fairy Tail are supposed to be here! Ya better clear out before anyone comes here for the Trial! It's gonna get intense…"

The dark-haired man hung his head and whispered softly to himself, but nevertheless, Natsu picked up every word.

"You've grown, so much… I've missed you… Natsu."

Natsu clenched his fists and growled angrily.

"Who are you?!" Natsu grunted when the dark-haired youth didn't answer. He charged forward and tried to punch the guy into a nearby tree; but when he was in midair, the man stopped his flight by placing a single hand on the ground and righting his position again. "I won't ask again! Tell me or I hit harder!"

"I see… Nothing's changed. You still can't break me…" The mysterious man choked back a sob. "When will this mindless destruction end? I don't want to kill anymore, but the one person who can stop me still isn't strong enough… How long must I wait?"

Natsu's scowl deepened as the man continued to ramble incoherently. Not strong enough?! If the weepy bastard was talking about him, then Natsu was gonna get mad. Well… madder. He didn't work all the way to S-Class, to become _a Wizard Saint_ , only for this guy to doubt his abilities!

"Hey! In case you haven't heard, I'm one of the Ten Wizard Saints, bub!" He smirked when the mysterious man looked up at him in abject shock. "Yeah, that's right! One of the ten strongest Wizards in Ishgar, and I got wife that could totally wipe the floor with you, too! So don't go calling me 'weak'!"

The dark-haired youth's eyes took on a profound complexity as he gazed at Natsu, new tears flowing down his face. He smiled rather sadly at the Dragon Slayer.

"I… I see… You really are making progress, then…" The man wiped at his tears with one hand as he lowered his head again. "And you have a… family… I'm so glad, Natsu. I'm sure you have a wonderful wife… Perhaps I don't have much longer to wait after all…"

Natsu blinked owlishly as the man's tone seemed to change to one of profound relief and joy. Seriously? How'd this guy even know him?

"You bet Erza's amazing!" Happy piped up as he grinned at the dark-haired youth. "She's S-Class, too, and keeps the whole guild in line! And she's gonna have Natsu's kid real soon!"

The dark-haired man looked up in astonishment at this, looking straight at Natsu, who was a bit taken aback by the sudden intense attention.

"Sh-She's with child…? Then you'll be a… a father…" The man whispered out in shock. Again, Natsu could tell the guy was strangely _happy_ for some reason, but for the life of him he couldn't tell _why_.

But before Natsu could go on interrogating the guy, a nearby tree branch snapped off as some funky dark Magic pooled around the stranger's feet and rose up like smoke around him. Immediately, the man went back to a sad, desperate state as he clutched at his head.

"Run! NOW!" The dark-haired youth screamed, and Natsu backed away when the suspicious Magic expanded into a sphere around the man before exploding outward as the man moaned painfully.

On instinct, Happy swooped down and carried Natsu away, but apparently he wasn't fast enough on his own, as the dark Magic was gaining speed. Thankfully, Natsu got over his shock and applied fire to the soles of his feet to rocket him and Happy out of harm's way. Once they were out of harm's way and realized it, they looked back only to be shocked at the trees and grass disintegrated into ashes.

"Whoa! Where'd he go?!" Happy exclaimed when he noticed the man was indeed gone. Natsu scowled deeply at this turn of events.

"I don't know, Happy, but we gotta warn everyone. That guy definitely isn't right in the head… And if he kills anyone, I'll never forgive myself."

"Not to mention he kinda destroyed your flag!" Happy added lamely, as he pointed out there was no longer a flag on the boulder he was previously sitting on. Natsu grunted and took off in the direction of the closest team he could perceive.

No one was going to die today. Not if Natsu Dragneel had anything to say about it.

* * *

Elsewhere, Mest and Wendy had made their way out to a cliff overlooking the ocean. The Sky Dragon Slayer was enraptured by the beauty of the scene, while Mest was having a careful look around. To Wendy, that was just Mest being excited as she was – but to the young man, the case was quite the contrary. Mest wasn't here for sightseeing. Fairy Tail's dark secret could be lying around anywhere, so he was on the lookout for any suspicious-looking caves or secret entrances. Yet the double agent wasn't so information-craved that he neglected Wendy; he made sure to multitask and seem like he was a trusted ally.

Quite frankly, he didn't mind Wendy. She was a good kid. Which is why it was such a shame she was wrapped up in a troublemaking guild like Fairy Tail. Once this mess was cleaned up, he was going to make sure Wendy found her way to a guild more suited to her amazing potential – a guild that paid more attention to decorum and wasn't too much of a headache. There weren't too many Dragon Slayers left, after all, and it'd be a shame to cast her into some run-of-the-mill orphanage.

That said, there didn't look to be anything suspicious out here. Mest was about to encourage Wendy to move onto some other area, when he suddenly felt an ominous presence close by. Someone dangerous. Without thinking, Mest teleported behind Wendy and leaped off to the side just as a chain of explosions made a linear path for where the Sky Dragon Slayer had just been. Wendy shrieked at the sudden action, but calmed down once she recognized that Mest had saved her.

"Who are you?! Show yourself!" The young man shouted in the general direction the attack came from. Both double agent and Fairy Tail Wizard looked toward the tree at the edge of the cliff, and the face of a man partly emerged from its trunk.

"Impressive! Your senses are quite sharp."

"The tree attacked us?" Wendy asked, bewildered. However, the tree seemed to stretch out more unnaturally as the new voice continued to speak.

"I'm from Grimoire Heart! Name's Azuma; I'm one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory."

 _'They're making a move…?'_ Mest wondered to himself. _'Why attack Wendy, then?'_

Mest assumed Fairy Tail was connected to this Dark Guild, since they were able to find Tenrou Island. But it was too early to completely dismiss that theory. Perhaps an attack on Wendy was just Grimoire Heart flexing its muscles in an attempt to coerce Fairy Tail into something; or maybe the two guilds had a falling out. Either way, Mest was going to see how this played out, protecting Wendy while he was at it.

"You're from Grimoire Heart?!" Wendy gasped in disbelief. Naturally she could recall the name of the supposed leading guild of the whole Balam Alliance. After they took Oracion Seis down, that just left that aforementioned Dark Guild and Tartaros, of which they knew very little about, for the inner ring of that conglomerate. "Why are you here?! Are others going after our friends?!"

"It's a bit late worrying about your friends." Azuma mused as the upper half of his body emerged from the tree. Craning his head ever so slightly to look out at the sea, the Dark Mage hummed thoughtfully as he crossed his arms. "Those ships. They're the Magic Council's battleships. Quite intriguing that they would make a move at the same time as us… but no matter. They look so fragile from here."

Mest tensed as the cold-hearted man spoke this ever so casually… There was no way… But before the double agent could even finish this thought, giant explosions overtook all of the Council's battleships, and Wendy gasped out in shock at the careless destruction. When the explosions died down, the ships were revealed to be burning wrecks – some had even been sunk.

"All those people!" Wendy wailed. Mest gritted his teeth in frustration.

"How…?"

Azuma, meanwhile, was shelving away the fact that the Council attempted to make a move on Fairy Tail, and possibly Grimoire Heart, for later. It was far too coincidental that they made a move on the same day; up until recently, Ultear had been a member of the Council. That instantly threw suspicion on her, but no use worrying about that now. Azuma completely emerged from the tree and now stood next to it, resting a hand on it.

"If you're done talking, I'd like to get to work on destroying you two. Right now."

Mest was fully prepared to make a jump for Wendy and teleport both of them to safety, but everyone's attention was immediately snatched up by Carla, who was flying beside Mira in her Satan Soul form while she carried Gray.

"WENDY!"

Gray narrowed his eyes at the dark-skinned man that was facing off against the former Trial participants. He took note of the symbol etched onto the clothing of the man's left shoulder.

"Grimoire Heart… What the hell are they doin' here?" He landed in a crouch as Mira dropped him, and the Takeover mage flapped her wings while staying airborne. It looked like they would be in for a fight, after all. He and Mira sure had been surprised when they stumbled upon the white Exceed that hadn't been brought along for the Trials; turns out she was worried for Wendy, after Panther Lily shared some suspicions of Mest after she complained to him about Wendy not listening to her about not pairing up with the strange man. Lily couldn't do anything since he was Gajeel's partner for the Trials, so he was counting on Carla to find one of the S-Class mages and have them investigate Mest as soon as possible when she made it to Tenrou.

Well, it looked like that investigation into Mest would have to wait. It appeared they had bigger fish to fry.

"Carla, get Wendy out of here." Mira instructed the Exceed as she bored holes into Azuma with her glare. "Mest, you too. We need to talk later."

Mest looked back at the S-Class mage like she was crazy. Never mind the suspicious tone; she was insane if she thought they could take on this man! He single-handedly wrecked the Council's battleships!

"You can't defeat him!" Mest yelled firmly, looking at the new arrivals with wide, panicked eyes. He hurriedly pointed at the burning wrecks out in the water. "There was a fleet of Council battleships out there, and he wiped them all out effortlessly! You would be fool to try and fight him!"

"Well, you know us. Always itching for a new challenge." Gray smirked, despite the tragic news of possible fatalities. No one else would die on their watch. Plus, this would be the perfect opportunity to one-up that damn Pyro; if this guy was as strong as Mest said he was, then he might be as powerful as that Zero guy that Natsu took down. Only one way to find out for sure.

When Mest focused on Mira after shaking his head at Gray's bravado, the Demon smirked at the double agent.

"Who do you think you're talking to? We're Team Mira! We might not have a 'Wizard Saint' on our team, but you'd better make sure not to underestimate us."

Mest just continued to gnash his teeth in frustration and tremble. Damn it! Why did Fairy Tail mages always have to be so ballsy?! This was _not_ a time for bravado!

"'The Demon Mirajane' and her apprentice, 'The Ice Prince Gray Fullbuster'. I've heard of you both. You're on par with Titania and the Salamander." Azuma claimed as he regarded his new opposition with a cool gaze. "Name's Azuma. I'm of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. If you'll do me the honor of facing me in battle as true warriors, I'll let the cat and those two go for now. I prefer my fights to be more of a challenge anyway; the others can handle the small fries if they so wish."

"So there are more on the way… just great…" Gray sighed before regarding Mira with a serious look. The Takeover mage nodded, flew up a ways, and released a signal flare that Azuma merely raised his brow at, but did not otherwise hinder his opponents. Gray looked back at him in confusion. "You sure are different from enemies we've faced before…"

Azuma lazily shrugged his shoulders.

"Whether or not your guild is prepared for the oncoming slaughter matters not to me. My brothers and sisters might be irritated, but all I really care about are spectacular battles. If that makes me more 'honorable' than most Dark Mages, then so be it."

Mira flew back down and called out to Wendy, Mest, and Carla urgently.

"Get out of here, you guys! The others might need you, Wendy!" At the bluenette's unsure expression, Mira reassured her as much as possible. "We'll take him down and come to help the others as soon as we can!"

Wendy chewed on her lower lip and nodded her head hesitantly. Carla flew down to pick up Wendy and fly her away, but Mest leaped over to the two before Carla could take off with the Sky Dragon Slayer. He shot Mira and Gray one last serious look before teleporting the three of them away from the battle that would prove to be destructive, Wendy and Carla both yelping from the sudden jump.

Now that they were alone, there was only the sound of Mira's flapping wings in the air as she and Gray stared Azuma down. Gray eventually dragged his foot in the dirt as he prepared to unleash an Ice Make Spell at any moment. A chilling breeze blew through the area as the tension was at an all-time high…

* * *

"A red flare… the signal of an enemy raid." Makarov calmly remarked as he looked up at the sky. The aged Guild Master sighed tiredly. "I never thought it would happen here… And on my watch, no less. Mavis, did you ever find yourself in this situation? Because I wonder how you would have handled it. I'll bet you're so angry with me, you're spinnin' in your grave right about now… I've allowed the enemy to tread upon our guild's sacred ground."

Makarov looked at the grave with a complex mixture of sadness, regret, and self-loathing, amongst other such emotions. He clenched his fists in determination.

"I assume full responsibility. And I will pay the price, rest assured of that. However… I ask this of you. Keep them safe." With this said, Makarov bowed humbly to the grave before setting out to deal with the invaders. He was angry with himself for 'allowing' this to happen, but he was going to channel these negative emotions into something constructive – protecting his children and this hallowed ground from enemy attack.

* * *

"A red flare… we're under attack." Panther Lily remarked to his partner grimly, as they charged through the forest pursuing Natsu's roaming scent. The knucklehead was on the move for some reason, and based on this recent development, the Iron Dragon Slayer had a pretty good idea of why that was.

"Damn it… they're gonna suspend the Trials for this… Better not take too long." The raven-haired man grumbled before smirking cockily. "Heh. At least now I'll definitely get to pound some skulls in."

The Dragon Slayer tensed as they were suddenly ambushed by some strange-lookin' creatures. A humanoid chicken and a humanoid dog – both wearing armor, and both leaped out from out of nowhere but were repelled easily enough by Gajeel. Panther Lily instantly took note of their guild symbol.

"They're members of Grimoire Heart! The leading guild of the Balam Alliance!"

Gajeel cracked his knuckles excitedly.

"I don't care! Small potatoes, these losers. I'm gonna beat these guys to a pulp, and then I'm gonna go find their bosses! Make 'em think twice about invading our island!"

"So, you don't think twice about getting into scraps with other guilds. Heh. How unlike a piece of Light Guild trash." The humanoid dog snarked.

"I used to be a part of Phantom Lord, what'd you expect?!" Gajeel cackled boisterously. The humanoid chicken shared in his mirth.

"Well, I'm Kawazu, and this is my partner, Yomazu! We serve under Caprico, one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory! BOCK-bock-bock-bock-bock-bock-bock-bock."

Panther Lily transformed into his muscle-bound state as they prepared to take on these 'grunts' of Grimoire Heart.

"We couldn't care less about your hierarchy! You _will_ answer for trespassing on sacred ground!"

With that, the four of them lunged at each other, eager to get to the nitty-gritty.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Grimoire Heart airship was edging ever closer to Tenrou Island. The other six members of the Kin were still gathered, but Ultear had dispensed with the dress and had donned a form-fitting battle outfit. Zancrow leered at her as she zipped up the front over her cleavage.

"Nice outfit! Gets me fired up and ready to cut loose!"

"Zancrow! You should be taking this battle seriously." Caprico chided the blond as his arms were crossed.

"Tonight! The souls of our foes dine in the city of woe." Rusty Rose expressed poetically. Kain, meanwhile, twiddled his pointer fingers.

"Poetry and stuff… I am also ready to… fight, and, uh… filled with, uh…"

Suddenly, Meredy pointed straight forward in shock.

"Ur, look!"

Ultear glared acidly at her adoptive daughter.

"Never refer to me by that name!"

Meredy instantly faltered and looked down, saddened. Zancrow walked over to her and leaned down to her level.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be so nervous all the time! Alright. So, what's up?" The blond queried with a frown.

"It's in view now…" Meredy whispered, referring to Tenrou Island. The Kin collectively took in the view with their Master, the giant tree obviously the most visible feature at first. "The Fairy Island…"

Ultear let out a gasp as some giant slowly came into view, obscuring much of the island. His fists were clenched in fury.

"What in the hell is that?" Zancrow muttered.

Hades stared with wide, impressed eyes. Even though they would most certainly win this battle, he had to concede that Makarov had grown into quite an impressive mage.

"A giant?" Ultear mused.

"Oh… wow…" Kain mumbled.

"That sucks…" Zancrow muttered.

"Who is that?" Meredy wondered.

Hades finally grinned darkly.

"Makarov…"

" **Begone**!" Makarov growled lowly as he glared at the airship. He briefly recalled long ago how the Second Master passed the mantle onto him, trusting him to handle the guild with care. " **Turn back or suffer the wrath of Fairy Tail**!"

Hades simply chuckled mirthfully. When the airship showed no sign of turning around, Makarov grunted in exertion as he heavily smashed the airship with his fist, not totally breaking it, but still damaging it greatly.

"Heavy damage sustained!" A grunt called out.

"Too late to reinforce with armor! Game Over, man!" Another grunt lamented.

Makarov continued to growl as the ship continued to fly, despite at least one engine being taken out.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Hades barked. And in the next moment, their ship managed to dodge Makarov's next incoming fist, irritating the Guild Master. Hades waved his hand commandingly. "Prepare the focused cannon, Jupiter!"

The cannon emerged, and was set to fire at Makarov's face, but the giant blocked the blast easily with his arm and continued growling all the while. Inevitably, the firing ceased, and Makarov wound up with a bloody arm, but was otherwise uninjured and showed no signs of collapsing back onto the island. Makarov made a feint with his elbow, and at the last second fiercely swung his leg up and smashed the airship again, damaging it even more.

"He's tearing us apart! Can't we do _anything_?!" Yet another grunt cried out.

"Now, Ultear!" Hades commanded, to which the Arc of Time Mage complied.

"Sir! Arc of Time… Restore!" She declared, and in mere moments the airship was restored to its pristine condition as if it hadn't taken a beating by a wielder of Titan Magic.

"Caprico… get all of our forces onto the island!" Hades commanded, while the humanoid goat turned back to him.

"What about you, sir?"

"I'll remain here and deal with Makarov myself." Hades easily revealed. Caprico nodded solemnly.

"As you wish…" He extended his arms before clapping his hands, causing all the members aside from himself and Master Hades to vanish in brilliant lights. Caprico then shot straight up in a jetpack and eventually flew over the giant Makarov, garnering a snarl from the Guild Master.

" **Run if you like, but there is no escape**!" Makarov said with absolute certainty before having a standoff with Hades, who was still on the airship. The Guild Master started preparing Fairy Law. " **I'm going to give you until the count of three to get out of my sight**! **Otherwise, you and your comrades will see the other side of oblivion**!"

"The ultimate Spell that vanquishes everyone the caster deems to be a foe…" Hades mused calmly.

" **One**!"

"Let's see your 'Fairy Law' in action!"

" **Two** …" Makarov held the overwhelming power of Fairy Law at point-blank range of the airship. "… **And that's three**! **Time's up**! **Fairy Law**!"

Makarov clapped his hands together, compressing the energy and preparing to unleash it all on the airship.

"Don't be so hasty…" Hades sneered, having made his way to the top of the airship. He was preparing a similar powerful attack that looked much darker in nature. "Grimoire Law! These Spells serve their intended purpose! Lesser men would be deterred by them, but unless one of us backs down from this duel, the destruction will leave a scar on this world of cataclysmic proportions!"

Instantly, Makarov killed the power to his Fairy Law, gasping all the while.

" **But** … **Impossible**! **No** , **it can't be**!"

 _"I'm going on a journey, boy… I know you'll make this guild a great one." An aged man calmly spoke to a forty-year-old Makarov as he exited the Guild Hall._

 _"Master, wait! Don't go!" Young Makarov called out to him desperately._

 _"Master…?" The aged man turned to look at Makarov with a smile on his face. "I'm no longer the guild's Master… It's you."_

As Grimoire Law lit up the face of Hades, Makarov finally recognized his enemy. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Hello, boy. You're looking well." The light from Grimoire Law died down temporarily as the former Guild Master of Fairy Tail smirked with dark amusement at the shell-shocked giant.

" **It** _ **is**_ **you**... **Master Precht**!" Makarov shockingly stared down at his former ally.

* * *

Explosions constantly rocked the area as the trio battled. Gray found a way of getting around quickly by sliding around on a hastily-made Ice Make Floor, while Mira dodged them easily through flight. This was definitely a tough opponent. Couldn't get near him without enduring an explosion to the face (an explosion all over your body, really), and even when they managed to land a hit, they suffered more explosions. Of course, that wasn't the only means of attack for Azuma, but as he was out on the edge of the island, he couldn't overwhelm them with tree roots and such things too badly.

And both Mira and Gray picked up on this little fact. They absolutely couldn't allow him to get in further to the island. The guy had one tree at his disposal out there, and it was bad enough before Mira obliterated it while Gray froze up the roots that Azuma still used to attack them. Azuma cursed their perceptiveness and did his best to repel them back enough for him to get deeper into the island. To no avail, frankly – this duo was quite tenacious.

Azuma grunted as Fullbuster tried to impale him on Ice Make: Geyser, but the Dark Mage was able to leap high into the air just in time. He unleashed a fierce explosion on the geyser to prevent it from going any further, but in the short moment that it took him to do that, Mira managed to smash into him while mid-flight, sending him hurdling back to the earth below. Gray followed this up quickly by materializing a cylindrical canon propped up on his shoulder as he aimed it at the plummeting Azuma.

"Ice Make… Cannon!" Gray yelled, firing the cannon and nailing Azuma just before finishing his quick descent. But to the Ice Make mage's shock, his opponent generated an explosion at just the right moment so that the blow was dulled. The tanned man then righted himself as he skidded along the ground and glared at the leading members of Team Mira. Alright, so their teamwork was admirable. But he was one of the strongest of the Kin; in a tropical area such as this, he _was_ the strongest. One of the elements of Grimoire Heart's plans hinged on him getting over to the main tree of the island. If he couldn't sap the enemies' strength, then the operation would become that much harder for them. Not impossible, mind you, but more difficult than necessary.

Azuma sent Linear Explosions toward Gray again, prompting the mage to move. Azuma took note of Mirajane's position and charged the Ice Make Wizard, corralling him in with explosions all around, while simultaneously setting off explosions in the air around the Takeover mage. The tanned man feinted with a physical move, but when Mira was directly over his and Gray's approximate location, Azuma unleashed a devastating attack that they had yet to see.

"TOWER BURST!" Both Fairy Tail Wizards tensed as an intense pillar of fire expanded and rose up to nail both Mira and Gray. There wasn't time to dodge or throw up a suitable defense; the intense explosion blindsided them both. When the pillar of light died down, Azuma was standing over both leading members of Team Mira as they lay there in the dirt, writhing in agony. "Hmph. While I will say that I haven't exerted this much in ages, I have to say I'm disappointed our dance is over before it truly began."

Azuma smirked when Gray worked through the pain and conjured another Spell.

"Ice Make Gungnir!" The raven-haired youth called out, encapsulating their foe in the sharp end of a gigantic spear made of ice as it rocketed upward. He wasn't surprised at all when Azuma burst out easily enough through another explosion, but he didn't have to worry about any follow-up, as Mira had him covered again.

"Soul Extinctor!" Mirajane rose into the air with a few flaps of her wings and blasted an orb of Dark Magic that transformed into a devastating beam that barreled straight for Azuma. The Dark Mage took it head-on to prove his durability, and he sent back a chain of explosions under the cover of Mira's attack, eventually managing to strike her again. Gray deftly caught her before she could plummet to the ground, and the two of them watched with aggravation as Azuma continued his descent straight toward them.

"ICE MAKE: WALL!" Gray yelled as he slid back with Mira still in his arms; a tall wall made of ice rose up to at least partly shield them from the devastating explosion that Azuma unleashed just as he got close to their previous position. The wall didn't stand a chance, and the leading members of Team Mira were blown backward from the overwhelming force, but they were otherwise unharmed.

"Gray!" Mira sternly barked as they had a spare moment to counterattack. It was far from being pulled off successfully with each attempt, but it was by far the strongest attack in their repertoire. Nothing was keeping this guy down so far. If they let him get any more attacks in, he just might slip by them and make the battle a hell of a lot harder with the very island itself as his weapon.

Gray understood perfectly what Mira wanted to attempt. Azuma would be gunning straight for them once he realized their battle plan, but that didn't stop him from charging his Magic alongside Mira's as they faced down the Dark Mage once more. As anticipated, the tanned man was very astute and picked up on their tactic straightaway.

"A Unison Raid…? Fascinating. Your teamwork is that cohesive." Azuma commended them before extending a single arm toward them. He wasn't going to just stand there and let them charge up such a powerful attack. He wasn't foolhardy like Zancrow, for Kami's sake. "Bleve…"

Gray and Mira stood their ground in the fiery explosion that raced toward them. They accelerated the rate they were charging up the Unison Raid, and just as they were about to be struck by the explosion, they shot their arms forward together with the concentrated, expanding orb of powerful Magic and unleashed it with all they had.

"SUBZERO SATANIC BLAST!" They declared together, an overwhelming, glittering black-purple beam surged forward to meet Azuma's attack, and in mere moments dispersed it while making a beeline for the shocked Dark Mage. Azuma grunted and howled as the frigid beam of Dark Magic swallowed him whole and transformed into an amazing pillar of darkness that rivaled the size of Azuma's 'Tower Burst' earlier. When their attack died down, the Fairy Tail mages were pleased to see Azuma captured in a formation of ice that had a purple tinge to it; apparently, he was unable to move or bust out with another explosion, but this wasn't enough for Mirajane. She rushed forward with a few flaps of her wings and with great strength behind it, punched the ice formation, utterly shattering it and sending Azuma painfully sprawling on his back from the blow. When he didn't get up again, Mira reluctantly returned to her human form while Gray strode over.

"Well… that was a lot more exhausting than I thought it would be." Gray grumbled as he rolled his shoulder to relieve some of the pain in his bones. "And there's six more of these guys…?"

Not to mention the friggin' Guild Master of Grimoire Heart, whoever that was. Mira smiled tiredly at her teammate. They would be having to join the fray again soon enough; but for now, they would catch their breath while returning to base camp to check on the others. But just as Mira thought about their next course of action, the sound of a jetpack could be heard far overhead as someone was flying about, dispensing odd-looking orange orbs all around areas not too close to where they were currently at.

"Is that…?" Mira narrowed her eyes as she noticed it was a humanoid goat that was flying around. It was far from the strangest thing she'd seen, but now wasn't the time for jokes. Gray was equally grave as he took in the sight as well. Azuma confirmed their suspicions.

"I may be bested, but it looks like the rowdier ones are joining the fray now…" Azuma mused, sprawled out on the ground. With any luck, the others would overwhelm his captors and he could begin the task he was meant for, but until then, Azuma would patiently and calmly wait as he recovered. If he was bothered at being frozen over again by Gray's Ice Make Magic, his face didn't show it.

* * *

Caprico continued to fly around even after releasing all of his comrades onto the island. The Fairy Tail guild members soon found themselves overrun by masked men in dark cloaks, but there were unique others making a 'splash' as well.

"Ahahaha… YAAAHOOOOO!" Zancrow bellowed as he plummeted headlong down to the island.

Rusty rose had touched down, and he was now calmly adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"The Underworld will run red with our sacrifices tonight…"

Elsewhere, Meredy touched down in a crouch.

"Operation is underway!"

Kain's face smashed into the ground as he unceremoniously fell down onto the island. Ultear was already out and walking about, excitedly muttering to herself.

"At last, I am near him… Lord Zeref!"

Meanwhile, in an area that wasn't overrun by Grimoire Heart yet, the black-haired youth that encountered Natsu a short time ago was sitting under the shade of a tree, looking up at the sky sorrowfully.

"So much conflict… Will it ever end…?"

He feared that the answer was a resounding 'no'.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Eh. That's a wrap on the intro to the invasion. I'd been planning on Azuma being the first to fall. I could've gone the route that canon did; I won't deny it was BA that Azuma had enough power to take down the Tenrou Tree and essentially cripple his enemies, but I wanted to mix it up. Especially with Erza, well, y'know… not there. But I do think Mira and Gray were due for a suitable tag-team moment, and who better an opponent than Azuma? ^^**

 **Don't get the wrong idea about the Unison Raids. I'm not suddenly going to spam them. I had Gray and Mira have it as a skill in their repertoire because they'd been a team as long as Natsu and Erza have been, and they needed something to maintain an edge in their rivalry. Natsu's a Wizard Saint, after all. I tried to be imaginative with what their UR would be like, but I might have flopped… :P I just think that with Gray eventually learning Devil Slayer Magic, he'd be 'compatible' with Mira's Magic. That's just my opinion.**

 **But we'll be seeing a lot from everyone else next time. I dunno if we'll get around to the Natsu-Ultear confrontation, but we'll see. Plus, Azuma might not be out of the running just yet; we'll see. This invasion's just getting started, after all. For now we'll be tuning into his comrades, seeing what chaos they stir up. As usual, thanks for the support!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

" **It** _ **is**_ **you…! Master Precht!"**

 _Young Makarov sat in the Guild Hall with a fierce scowl on his face. In the next moment, he was on his feet and throwing a childish tantrum._

 _"Grr…! Damnit! Who do those Council lowlifes think they are?! I have half a mind to…!"_

 _Before he could really get going, a random Guildmate tried calming him down._

 _"Calm down, Makarov!"_

 _Makarov suddenly held up the Guildmate by the collar as he looked down at him darkly._

 _"Fine, you want me to calm down! Maybe I'll use you to vent this pit of frustrations!" The blond growled._

 _"Wait, let's talk about this!" The Guildmate pitifully pleaded._

 _"That's enough, boy. Let him go!"_

 _Makarov growled before complying and whirling around to face the aged Guild Master._

 _"Oh, Master! I didn't realize you were back!" The blond sheepishly remarked._

 _"Do you revel in making trouble whenever you go out on a job?" Precht sighed breezily as Makarov adopted a sour look again before turning his head away stubbornly. Patiently, the Guild Master gestured for the young Dreyar to follow him. "Come along, boy."_

 _Soon enough, the two of them were out at the coast, with Makarov sitting down grumpily and Precht remaining standing. The sun was beginning to descend below the horizon._

 _"So I roughed up some has-been bandits who were talkin' smack about our guild, I don't see what the problem is!" The blond grumbled in annoyance._

 _"There is nothing wrong with feeling the need to defend something you hold so dear…" Precht reasoned. "But violence ultimately begets more violence."_

 _"Am I just supposed to let 'em get away with it?" Makarov skeptically queried._

 _"Harmony is key. Forgiveness can be a powerful thing, just like violence. Whether you forgive or seek revenge is up to you, but know the consequences!"_

 _"You ever get tired of saying that?"_

 _Precht smiled in amusement down at the sour blond._

 _"I'll keep saying it until it sinks into your thick skull, boy."_

 _"Seriously, stop calling me boy!"_

Makarov couldn't take his eyes off of Precht as that memory faded from his mind, the kindly face of Precht fading into the sneering visage of Hades.

" **Master… it's really you!** _ **Why**_ **?! Is this some sick joke?!** " Makarov demanded to know why someone as venerable and respected as Master Precht would turn on everything he once believed in. There _had_ to be more to it.

Instead of answering, the Dark Mage cruelly attacked with his Chain Magic, using it to grasp Makarov's shoulders before throwing him back onto the island, nullifying Makarov's Titan Magic in the process. While the ever-shrinking Makarov skidded along the dirt ground, Hades dancingly descended from the airship in a twirl. Once he was normal size, the now elderly Dreyar stopped his momentum and donned the white and gold cloak he wore as a member of the Wizard Saints. He glared up at Precht, who was once again close to him.

"I see you've traded in your ideals for a darker robe…"

Hades crossed his arms and sneered at his successor.

"After all these years, you still view the world in black and white! I hoped becoming Guild Master would broaden that narrow view of yours."

"Forgive me if I don't give a damn!" Makarov nearly snarled. "I might have a narrow field of vision, but I see my enemies clearly!"

Hades belted a hearty chuckle as Makarov rose to his feet.

"At least you've learned to talk the talk while I've been away, _boy_!"

"I always _hated_ that nickname… in fact, I wanted to deck you every time you used it!" The Third Guild Master of Fairy Tail clenched his fists in fury. "But I have no desire to fight you now… Leave before we do something drastic!"

Hades rolled his eyes slightly.

"Though it pains me to do so, my path is all too clear at this point. It would seem fate has chosen me to be the instrument of Fairy Tail's destruction!" The Dark Mage declared.

"But first you'll have to go through me!" Makarov shot back while a golden aura surrounded him. Similarly, Hades developed a dark purple aura around him.

"If you wish to throw your life away, boy, then so be it!"

Soon, the clearing they were in was chaotic with wind and dirt blowing everywhere, electricity crackling around the two mages as they stood at a tense faceoff. Then the auras died down, and they both performed hand motions for destructive Spells.

"Purge the Darkness, O Rain of Light!" Makarov shouted, sending out a golden beam of light that transformed into many before raining down on Hades. The Dark Guild Master sneered as he held up a shield of Dark Magic over his head.

"That won't be enough, Makarov! Swallow the Light, O Shadow of Eternal Darkness!" Hades bellowed as his shield absorbed Makarov's attack, transforming all that power into a very dark orb. He then flicked the orb toward Makarov, who was sent flying backward but didn't seem too perturbed.

"In that case…!" Makarov started to make more hand signs.

Hades used two fingers to generate a small trace of Dark Magic, which quickly turned into three Magic Circles that stood before him.

"WHAT?! He cast an Amaterasu Formula Twenty Eight Circle! As if it were _nothing_!" Makarov gaped even as he was surrounded by a golden Magic light.

"Understand what you're up against now…?" Hades taunted his successor. His attack compressed in on itself before transforming into a very destructive dark pillar of light that Makarov was miraculously able to repel. In frustration, Hades sent another claw hooked to a chain spiraling toward Makarov, which managed to ensnare him. The Dark Mage then cruelly slammed him into tree after tree before finally slamming him back onto the ground. "I live and breathe the Dark Arts! Your defeat is certain!"

Agonizingly, Makarov forced himself to get back up, but the moment he did, he found himself surrounded by Dark Magic Circles – one that encircled the ground around him, one hovering in the air above him, three to his left, and three to his right.

"What is this?!" Makarov failed to recognize the attack. At Hades' cruel smirk, Makarov screamed, "MAXIMUM DEFENSE MAGIC CIRCLE: THREE PILLAR GODS!"

Three pillars arose from the earth, outside whatever Hades had him surrounded with. Hades did not seem deterred.

"Amaterasu Formula One Hundred!" He called out, and a humongous explosion easily took out the surroundings within a very wide radius.

Zeref looked up to the sky in disappointment as some birds flew by. Why did conflict even have to reach here of all places…?

* * *

"I didn't like the sound of that…" Natsu muttered, after beating back a good many grunts with his fists alone. Happy looked around in a panic, also having heard the explosion.

"Me either! I sure hope one of our guys cast that thing!"

Natsu gritted his teeth.

"I'm getting _really_ tired of these jerkwads playin' in our backyard!"

"There's so many of them, what do you think they want?!" The blue Exceed wondered. Cana rolled her eyes, holding a few cards at the ready. She and Sho were back-to-back a little ways from where the Dragon Slayer was.

"I don't think that matters, Happy… Whatever they want, they can't have it!" The brunette seethed. When Natsu and Happy came looking for them, Cana was less than thrilled that the Trials would be put on hold; but with some creep wandering around with out-of-control death Magic and these guys dropping in out of the blue… Of course it was understandable. Not 'acceptable' by any means… But understandable.

"I don't think I'll have enough cards to contain them all…" Sho murmured, as he had already used his Magic to capture a number of them. Thankfully, Natsu and Cana were there battling alongside him.

"I CAN'T WASTE ANYMORE TIME HERE!" Natsu roared, igniting his fists in flames before bringing them together, aiming his attack at a large group of grunts. "Crimson Lotus: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!"

Cana watched with a small smirk as a great many of them were taken down from that one attack… Yeah, this just got a lot easier. Even so… she couldn't help thinking about Happy's question. Why _were_ they here, besides picking a fight with Fairy Tail? There had to be more to this invasion…

* * *

Simon panted as he'd just gotten him and Wally out of an overwhelming situation. They'd been searching the ruins for Mavis's grave when those masked men dropped in. Out of impulse, they took a great many of them down, but there was far too many for the two of them to win the battle. So Simon had used Dark Moment to cover their escape. Teleporting back to base camp seemed like the ideal fallback plan, but as they were about to teleport out of the ruins completely, that humanoid goat had touched down and found them…

* * *

"This kitty's got claws!" Lisanna exclaimed as she swiped at a number of grunts with her Takeover Magic. She and Juvia were deep in the lower forest of the island, and surrounded on all sides by Grimoire Heart scum. Their backs were to one another as the grunts circled them, wielding weapons.

"They don't seem to be decreasing in numbers, do they?" Juvia lamented after bringing down a few others with her Water Magic.

"Just keep attacking… Maybe one of the others will find us eventually!" Lisanna dared to hope. She knew the numbers were on Grimoire Heart's side, but these grunts were pretty easy to dispatch. After fighting Gray, it was nice to have an easy battle… even though there was an absurd number of opponents to take down.

* * *

"MANLY STRIKE!" Elfman threw one grunt into many, knocking them over like bowling pins. "Evergreen, time to do your thing!"

The brunette casually took off her glasses and rolled her eyes.

"I'll say this again… When I need a big oaf to order me around, you'll be the first to know!" She snarked, looking straight at a number of grunts.

"Don't look into her eyes, she's using Petrification Magic!" A lone grunt called out, but even he fell to her Spell as every single one became a stone statue.

"Well… Normally I wouldn't resort to such cheap tactics, but I guess that's Manly…" Elfman slightly complained. A tick mark appeared on Evergreen's forehead.

"What do you mean by _cheap_?!" She growled.

* * *

Back with the warring Guild Masters, the dust had settled from Hades' last attack, and Makarov was miraculously still standing, though very much fatigued.

"I'd expect no less from my successor…" Hades taunted Makarov. "It's no surprise you held the Guild together for forty eight years!"

Makarov clutched at his heart as suddenly there was an intense pain that wracked his body. He fell to his knees in agony.

"Hmm? What is it, boy? Are you not feeling well? I guess the years are catching up with you!" Hades jeered. "Nearly half a century has passed since we parted ways. Does fate intend to bring us full circle on this lonely and venerated ground…?"

Makarov grunted and looked back up at the man with a glare.

"I don't understand… you were an _amazing_ Guild Master, Precht! You always spoke of harmony, and did your best to lead us along a path to righteousness! Did you change your mind? Or was it all a lie…?"

At Makarov's incessant questioning, Hades glared down at him and used Magic to slam him onto the ground harshly, using _a lot_ more force than necessary.

"Long ago, Magic was born from the depths of Darkness! And those who utilized its power were met with fear and prejudice. Eventually, Magic became commonplace, so much so that we integrated it into our own culture. But as I delved deeper into the source of Magic, I found that it always led back to Zeref!" Hades began to walk away. "At last I saw the truth. I had found the personification of Wizardry. Sleep, boy. Fairy Tail shall rest here… with Mavis."

Makarov tried to get up one more time, but Hades whirled around to face him again and sent one more attack that pierced through Makarov's chest. As he howled in agony and Hades stared back at him coldly, Makarov thought valiantly to himself.

 _'It's not over… not yet! My successor… I hope you're ready to bear this burden.'_

* * *

Laxus breathed through his nose calmly as he felt a terrible chill run down his spine. Like someone was walking over his grave… Nevertheless, he could not afford to think about that right now. Putting down a ton of these assholes finally got the attention of one of their higher-ups. A man that quite literally embodied chaos and destruction.

"Enough already!" Zancrow sneered as he looked down from on high. There were a few grunts left standing, and they were looking up at their blond boss fearfully. "Heh… I can't watch anymore…"

"It's Zancrow!" A grunt cried out. As the member of the Kin chuckled darkly, they chuckled along with him, hoping to not get burned for being so pitiful.

"Leave him to me! I was hoping to get some exercise on this trip!" Zancrow sneered. "I'll pound this loser into the dirt while you go look for Zeref. Judging from what I've seen so far, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes!"

Laxus glared back up at the new arrival. So this was one of Grimoire Heart's elites – a member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. And if nothing else, he just revealed their main objective. As deluded as it sounded… Because really? Zeref? Here? That sounded like a bad joke.

"Thanks a lot, Zancrow!"

"We owe ya one!"

"I didn't think they had anyone that strong… He _definitely_ lives up to his rep!"

Zancrow's smirk morphed into a fierce scowl as he overheard _that_ comment.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Zancrow roared, sending the minions into a panicked state as they whirled to face him again. "He's strong?! This Fairy Tail pansy… _scares you_?!"

"Uh… well…"

"It was a slip of the tongue!"

"Please forgive us!"

"There's no guild in this world that can come close to the strength of Grimoire Heart…" Zancrow growled as he charged up an attack. "Understand?! If you think he's stronger than us, then you don't belong here!"

"Black flames…" Laxus murmured as he watched Zancrow blow his top. He'd never seen Magic like this before.

"And as of now… You're all out of the Guild!" Zancrow declared darkly, casting black flames onto the group of minions, heartlessly burning them to ashes. Laxus growled as he watched such cruel behavior. The blond Dark Mage did not help his case as he began to insanely cackle as the dust settled.

"So that's the fate of your underlings…? You kill off the ones that disappoint you." Laxus couldn't help it. Lightning began to crackle around his body as he boiled with rage. This guy… needed to be taken down a notch. _Now_.

"Don't act so high and mighty!" Zancrow sneered. "It's none of your business, anyway. If I was as weak as you, I'd be careful who I run my mouth to!"

The blond waved his arm, and a Magic Circle appeared in front of him before a stream of black flames surged toward Laxus. The Lightning Dragon Slayer tsk'ed and used his Magic to zip to the side before surging straight up to Zancrow and rematerializing in human form, angrily punching the Dark Mage in the face and sending him plummeting to the ground.

"And if I were you… I'd quit while I was ahead! _How_ can you justify killing your own subordinates?! It's sickening!" Laxus roared. Zancrow scowled back up at him, but in an instant because of his Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic, Laxus was back down at Zancrow's level stomping down harshly on the Dark Mage's gut and forcing him to cough out blood.

Laxus had never been so pissed… Not even with Gajeel, back when he was with Phantom. Not even when Gramps kicked his dad out of the Guild. This was an entirely new low, and Laxus wasn't going to stand for it. Out of pure enraged instinct, he stomped down harshly on Zancrow a second time, repeating the bloody spit take.

But then… Just as suddenly, Laxus removed boot from the Dark Mage's torso as he crossed his arms condescendingly.

"Get up!" The Dragon Slayer barked with a hateful glare. "This is a long, _painful_ road you've chosen, and you are going to _finish_ it! One way or the other!"

Zancrow shook with barely contained rage as he sat up and wiped some blood from his chin, flicking it away in distaste. Instantly, he leaped back on his feet and cloaked himself in black flames.

"Alright, I hope you got to vent your frustrations, because now the only thing awaiting you is the grave!" Zancrow cackled maniacally. "No, not even that! Because trash like you doesn't _deserve_ a tombstone! You're gonna be ashes beneath my boots before the winds scatter you!"

As Zancrow got a good laugh from that, Laxus glared him down as he tried to puzzle out the black flames. For some reason, he knew it would be a bad idea to get struck by them…

"What are those, anyway? Never seen flames like those."

Zancrow smirked as he spread out his arms.

"Divine flames! I'm the Fire God Slayer, you worm! Before me, you're just a lizard with some zappy powers, 'Lightning Dragon Slayer'! Heh!"

The only response Laxus gave was to crack his knuckles while Lightning crackled all over his body. Well, he'd never heard of a 'God Slayer' before, but that didn't matter. Since Natsu wasn't here to strut his stuff, he'd just have to pound this guy's head in himself. The Pyro probably had his hands full pummeling this guy's friends anyway.

Time to get to work.

* * *

"Your fight is far from over. Prepare for battle." Caprico spoke condescendingly to Simon and Wally. He'd since sent away the grunts; as amusing as it would be to have these two disposed of with overwhelming odds, it would be much more satisfying to personally show them the true meaning of despair.

"A goat wearing a suit…?" Wally asked incredulously. He'd seen a lot of weird stuff, but this took the cake.

Simon tensed when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Whirling around, he saw Loke, who was breathing raggedly from running all the way there.

"Loke? Why are you here?"

Loke looked up at the goat-man with a very serious face. He clenched his fists in a mixture of trepidation and anger.

"I knew the moment I saw him flying around… This guy is bad news, on a total different levels than his flunkies. Keep your guard up, we're in for one heck of a fight." The Celestial Spirit warned Lucy's Guildmates. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have left Lucy's side, but the blonde assured him that if he had a feeling about the guy in the jetpack, he should go take care of him. She, Levy, Freed, and Bickslow had repulsed the first wave of grunts back at the base camp, so they could manage on their own.

Loke couldn't be more thankful that she wouldn't get involved with this guy yet… Granted, she would have to eventually, but Loke _really_ wanted some answers from him first, to clear the air. At least he'd have backup from Simon and Wally…

Caprico didn't acknowledge Loke's arrival – he merely kept a cold gaze as he stared down at the Fairy Tail mages with his arms crossed, the sun reflecting off of his black sunglasses.

* * *

Meanwhile, Juvia and Lisanna were running through a watered down area of the forest, having defeated the vast swarm of Grimoire Heart minions. Somehow.

"Hopefully that was the worst of it…" Juvia commented as they raced back toward the base camp.

"Don't count on it." Lisanna sighed tiredly.

"Right!"

The two girls stopped as they sensed a nearby foe; and as they whirled around, they came face-to-face with a pink-haired girl in a red cloak. She had an extremely calm face as she spoke up stoically.

"I have encountered the enemy during the mission. I will destroy them immediately. Ending their lives is now my highest priority… Commencing combat operations."

"A child…?" Lisanna asked incredulously, but Juvia shook her head.

"Don't let your guard down. There's something strange about this girl." Juvia warned.

* * *

Elfman's eyes widened as he and Evergreen encountered a silver-haired man that glittered superficially as he held up a flower.

"… Is that a bad guy or a flower arrangement…?" Elfman asked, unimpressed.

"Whatever it is, it took a bath in cologne!" Evergreen deadpanned. Rusty Rose took a deep, relaxing breath of air.

"In a desolate forest on a lonely island, the Devils and Fairies danced a tango of death!"

"Uhhh…" Evergreen wasn't sure what to say anymore. Elfman sweatdropped.

"I ain't dancin'!"

Rusty chuckled.

"May these stones and moss serve as a ballroom for our soiree!"

"… Can I punch him now?" Elfman deadpanned. Evergreen snorted.

"If it'll shut him up, be my guest!"

* * *

In the middle of nowhere, Kain threw a childish tantrum as he stomped around looking for _anyone_ to fight.

"I've been out here for hours! Why can't I find anyone in this forest?! I'm sweaty! And I'm hungry! And I want someone to rub my belly!" The tubby raven-haired Dark Mage wailed pitifully. He was so going to drag out the slaughter once he stumbled upon someone from Fairy Tail… this was ridiculous!

* * *

Natsu, Happy, Sho, and Cana stood triumphant over their foes after Natsu had unleashed a few more wide-scale attacks. It hadn't taken more than a few minutes with that kind of efficiency… however…

"No way… What's _she_ doin' here?!" Natsu exclaimed with wide, shocked eyes as his nose picked up a familiar scent several meters off in the nearby forest. Cana glanced at him quizzically.

"Who are you talking about?" Cana queried, but Natsu shook his head firmly and set his face in a scowl.

"You guys need to get back to base camp. It's not safe being isolated like this."

Cana twitched at the Dragon Slayer's deflection. It wasn't the time to be keeping secrets, even if he was S-Class! Sure, the knucklehead could handle himself, but they had no idea what they were up against here. Grimoire Heart was the leading Guild of the Balam Alliance and its elite fighting force was called the Seven Kin of Purgatory, but that succinctly summed up what they knew. No knowledge of specific members or how many grunts they had in their ranks, they'd been completely blindsided by this invasion. Even the Guild Master was a complete mystery!

"And what are you gonna do?" Cana asked testily as Natsu began to walk away. "Now isn't the time for splitting up!"

At Cana's insistence, the Fire Dragon Slayer stopped in his tracks and clenched his fists in a mixture of annoyance and determination. He breathed through his nose and didn't even turn back to face the Cards mage.

"Cana… just trust me, there's something I gotta do. There's something I need to check out, and I can't guarantee it won't get messy." He sighed in annoyance as Cana took a step forward.

"Then let us help! You don't need to shoulder this alone, Natsu!"

It became deathly quiet as Natsu and Cana didn't say anything else. The Cards mage _thought_ she'd finally gotten through to the knucklehead, but the next words that came out of his mouth popped that assumption like a balloon.

"I'm sorry… but I do. This is personal, Cana – not Fairy Tail vs. Grimoire Heart." Natsu gnashed his teeth as he kept his back to the Cards mage. _'At least… It better not be.'_

Cana looked like she was about to go on another tirade, but out of the blue, Sho used his Magic Card ability to trap his partner in a Card Dimension. He dipped his head as he remained in that position, holding up the card that Cana was stored in.

"SHO! What are you doing?!" Cana screamed as she banged her fists against the Magic 'wall' keeping her in the card. "LET ME OUT!"

Sho took a calming breath as he slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry… please forgive me."

Natsu looked back at the blond Cards mage with a profound sense of relief.

"Sho…" Was all Natsu managed to say for the moment.

"You're married to Sis… So I trust you." Sho told Natsu in all seriousness as he straightened back up. "I hate doing this to Cana, but if you say it's too dangerous…"

He trailed off uncertainly as he locked eyes with Natsu. The Dragon Slayer let out a steady breath as he ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not… well, I guess it could be a little dangerous, but I'm mostly concerned about something else. I caught a whiff of someone's scent – someone that I know shouldn't be here. I dunno what their game is, but I am gonna find out. It's for me to deal with and no one else." He turned toward the forest again and shook his head. "Cana could handle herself, I don't doubt that. You could handle it, too, but I don't wanna involve you guys in something this personal. This woman is… complicated."

And boy, didn't Natsu know it. The Dragon Slayer took a step forward in the general direction of his quarry, when Sho made him pause again.

"I understand… But please…" The blond pleaded of Natsu. "Please make it back to us. To Sister."

Natsu tilted his head to look back at Sho and shot him a disarming grin. You could say it was his 'Natsu-patented' grin, which guaranteed the Pyro would keep his promises, or your money back.

"Of course! We're all gonna make it back to Fairy Tail. Back to Erza, Kagura, Milliana… everybody! And we'll take down another member of the Balam Alliance while we're at it!" Natsu gave the blond a thumb's up, which resulted in the Cards mage wiping at his eyes with his arm. He was so glad he agreed to join his Sister's Guild… Natsu turned his attention to his constant companion next. "That means you, too, bud. Help Sho get back to camp, alright?"

"But Natsuuu!" The Exceed whined before reluctantly complying at Natsu's gaze. Well… sorta complying. "I'll drop him off, but then I'm comin' back! Someone's gotta have your back!"

Natsu conceded his best bud's stubbornness with a shrug. Chances were by the time Happy went there and back again, the confrontation would be over. … At least Natsu hoped so. But nothing was ever simple when it came to Ultear Milkovich.

With a plan of action, Natsu split off from Happy and Sho as they took flight. The Dragon Slayer rushed into the woods with a very determined scowl on his face.

 _'Ultear… which side are you on…?'_ The pink-head pondered as trees passed by him in a blur.

* * *

Enough time in the day had passed for the sun to begin setting. Wally growled in frustration as he had yet to land a hit on this enemy. Even with Simon lending a hand by throwing the battlefield into 'chaos' with Dark Moment, this goat guy was one swift and strong bastard. To top it off, he started 'blabbing' about his Guild's plans for world conquest.

"What you're talking about is genocide!" Loke panted out as the three of them faced down Caprico in the main structure of the ruins.

"Only ten percent of the population will be allowed to live…?" Simon continued on in disbelief.

"You think that's gonna fly?! People are gonna fight to the end!" Wally declared with a determined scowl. He'd lived through Hell before; they'd even staged a rebellion to put an end to it. A lot of good people wound up dying in the end because That Man took control of everything… But they died resisting.

"Perhaps," Caprico 'conceded'. "Then again, Hades has yet to reveal the full extent of his plan. He dreams of a heaven for those attuned with the abyss of sorcery. The Black Wizard will be ours. And once he is, the world you know will vanish! Once all the fire and dust have settled, it will be reborn!"

"You talk too much!" Wally points his gun at Caprico again. "You think you can just bust into our house like you own the place?!"

Caprico got into a battle-ready stance.

"My comrades and I have two missions… The first is to seize Zeref and then deliver him safely to Master Hades! And the second one is to wipe Fairy Tail from existence!"

"You think you can wipe us out…? Let's put that theory to the test!" Wally exclaimed, but Loke held out his hand to stop him from lashing out.

"Wait." The Celestial Spirit advised, which garnered a raised eyebrow from Simon and a curious glance from Caprico.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked in concern.

"I'm covering your retreat." Loke replied simply as he straightened his tie. "Since he's just one of the Seven Kin, it's safe to say there's a six-pack of nasties somewhere out there. I'll hold him off while you hold off the rest of his crew."

"Are you crazy?!" Wally exclaimed. "The three of us couldn't take him, and you wanna go solo?!"

"That's because his Magic was sapping your strength." Loke revealed. "Human Enslavement Magic – it's ancient and powerful stuff."

"Human Enslavement…?" Simon trailed off curiously.

"It's also known as Ruler's Magic. It temporarily reduces the combat abilities and Magic Power of any human it affects. Celestial Spirits are immune to it, so we can fight evenly! You may have just figured this out… But he's also a Celestial Spirit– Capricorn, the Sea Goat."

"You're serious?!" Wally couldn't believe it. Simon, on the other hand, was in disbelief for a more specific reason. Oracion Seis had a Celestial Spirit Wizard, who wielded three such Zodiac Spirits; and now here Grimoire Heart had one of the Zodiac Spirits in their employ… Who would've thought?

"We can help…" Simon tried to reason with Loke, but he instantly denied the support.

"I don't think so. How about it, Sea Goat? Feel like going toe-to-toe with a superior fighter? Let's do this!"

Caprico nodded his head minutely as the setting sun reflected off his sunglasses.

"I accept your challenge. To be honest, Leo, I was beginning to wonder if you remembered that you were a Celestial Spirit."

"Get outta here, I can handle this!" Loke reassured Simon and Wally, who remained rooted in place. "Wendy and Mest got back just a bit ago; return to base camp and help everyone there. I've got this in the bag."

Simon straightened up and nodded his head. Wally reluctantly did the same, acknowledging they'd be a burden to him here.

"I understand," Simon remarked. "But please make it back safe – if not for us, then for Lucy's sake."

Loke craned his head to look back at Simon before nodding his head slowly. Simon then Teleported himself and Wally away from that battlefield. With them alone, Caprico sneered at the Lion Spirit.

"I take it this 'Lucy' is your Master?" The Sea Goat scornfully taunted the orange-head. "How pitiful."

"You got bigger things to be worried about at the moment…" Loke growled before concentrating Magic in his fist and rushing straight at his enemy, punching him through a wall. Caprico skidded to a halt outside, and Loke kept rushing him. Except this time, Caprico charged him as well and kneed him in the gut.

"Just how long has it been since you left the Celestial Spirit World?!" Loke asked while in mid-motion.

"Seventeen years." Caprico barked out, and he leaped back as Loke tried to hit him with a swinging kick.

"There's no way you managed to last that long on your own power! Tell me, who are you contracted to?!" Loke demanded to know.

"No human controls me!" Caprico sneered. "But I have plenty of servants of my own! Come forth, Mighty Hero of Rubengard!"

 _'Another worldly gate…?'_ Loke thought in awe.

Caprico drew an intricate line in the air, summoning a man wielding a bladed spear-like weapon.

"San Jiao Shin!" Caprico declared the man's name as he took a swipe at Loke, making the Lion Spirit clutch his chest and fall to his knees.

 _'He's not a Celestial Spirit… What's going on?!'_

"General San Jiao Shin led the anti-government forces to victory during the Rubengard Civil War in the year X779. He went missing shortly after." Caprico explained the man's background even as he shimmered out of existence. "But the truth of the matter is that he became my slave. He lives and dies by my will!"

Loke's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"You've gone over the edge! Keeping humans as puppets is barbaric!"

"And being a slave to your owner is somehow noble?" Caprico coldly retorted as he stood straight up.

"My owner has nothing to do with this…" Loke grunted.

"I wonder… who exactly is holding your leash? Just who is this 'Lucy' that your friends told you to return for? Such intimacy betrays a certain fondness. You never wanted to challenge me to a duel, did you Leo? This was just a way of sending reinforcements to assist her, since your precious island is overrun. A clever tactic. Being a puppet is such a thankless role to play! Such a _boring_ existence!"

Loke pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he resumed standing on his feet.

"So… We finally get to the 'heart' of the matter." He spoke coldly as he glared at the Sea Goat. "You wanna know about Lucy? Funny thing is, you should know her better than I do – at least, according to your Contract, anyway. Crux said twenty years ago, you made a Contract with Layla Heartfilia – now, I don't know what deals you made out here in the human world, but since Layla is no longer with us, you should be fighting for her daughter… Lucy. But she doesn't know anything about you! Mind telling me what that's about… Capricorn?"

Loke tensed as he watched the Sea Goat gnash his teeth; his anger was off the charts now. He resumed a battle position as Caprico screamed.

"LAYLA'S DAUGHTER IS HERE?! SHE CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO LIIIVE!" He roared, and drew another line in the air. "Come forth, Hunter of Belparaso, Samagui!"

Loke didn't give him the chance to dish out any orders. He recognized that name, as well as the guy's mug as soon as he was summoned; he would be bad news if left to carry out his 'hunt'. This in mind, Loke super-charged his fist with Magic and punched the new summon, instantly defeating him. Caprico summoned a squad of knights, but Loke sent them back to whence they came as well.

They were at a stand-off. Loke knew it, and Caprico knew it. The Lion Spirit firmly established this.

"I'm not movin' until I get some answers! TALK!"

There was silence for several moments before Caprico deigned to speak again. When he did, the Sea Goat was eerily calm.

"… A taboo." Caprico spread out his arms. "Every Magic in existence has its own set of rules that must never be broken! And I broke one of those sacred rules!"

"You did…?" Loke mumbled, startled.

"As a result, I was given this form! Now I'm a goat! Isn't that funny?!" Caprico cackled maniacally. He then grinned darkly at Leo as he leaned forward. "It's funny! I was starting to think it was about time I took on a humanoid body again… This is _perfect_!"

"You're not making sense anymore!" Loke growled. But Caprico held up his arms as Dark Magic began to float in front of them.

"I'll use my Human Enslavement Magic… HUMA RAISE!" As the Sea Goat exclaimed this, the area around both him and Loke grew darker as they entered a domain that only they could see and experience. Loke instantly recognized this for what it was.

"You realize that Magic's not gonna work on me… I'm not a human, I'm a Celestial Spirit!"

Caprico smirked darkly at Leo's overconfidence – his eyes could be seen glowing even with the sunglasses on.

"Yes… And that would be the taboo… This Magic is only supposed to be used on humans…"

"How'd this happen…? How'd I fall into his trap?!" Loke thought in a panic. Caprico seemed to 'multiply' as he encircled Leo.

"Whoever dares to break that rule…"

"Hold on… you don't mean?!" Loke couldn't believe it, but it had to be the case…

"… Completely merges with their target!" The shadows of the 'clones' of Caprico edged toward Loke and merged with his shadow. In addition, Dark Magic began covering his entire body.

"I can't believe this… Are you telling me you're actually a human who's merged with Capricorn?!"

Loke heard distinctly different laughter in the next moment – indicating the human was taking over his body.

"Hehehe… I'm about to make your body my next conquest, Leo!" The stranger shouted out gleefully, and Loke struggled to repel his invader… But it wasn't working.

"Grr… No WAY!" The Lion Spirit shouted as back in the real world, he leaped toward Capricorn and struck him with a Magic-coated fist, knocking him on his back.

"… I'm afraid you're a tad too late…" The stranger snickered from within Leo. The leader of the Zodiac panted from dishing out that last attack, the Magic glimmering off of Capricorn's body as well. In the next moment, his skin became a bizarre gray-ish blue, and the orange-head smirked darkly as it became evident that his invader had won the battle for the body.

"Argh… that hurts…" 'Leo' massaged his stomach as he looked at the fallen Sea Goat. "Oh, right… I forgot wounded him in ba-a-attle… I mean battle. Heh. Looks like I've finally got a humanoid body again. Gotta say, Leo really knocked you out on your tail, didn't he, goat-man? I'm not gonna miss being in your body, but thanks for the help, anyway!

'Leo' grinned as he grandiosely gestured at his new body.

"Look at me! I've gone from goat to Leader of the Zodiac! I'm Leo and my Master… is Miss Lucy Heartfilia… All I hafta do is kill her, and I'll be completely human again! That's right… It'll be easy – I'll have no problem getting close because she trusts Leo! How should I do it…? A surprise attack? Or maybe I should enslave her and have some fun! After all, she's as beautiful as Lady Layla!"

Needless to say, the man that had taken over Leo's body was caught off-guard when Capricorn snuck up behind him and used the power of Regulus to blast him in the stomach, slightly making him levitate off the ground.

"AUUUGH! NO! How could you _do_ this?! Unhand me now!" The stranger demanded of the Sea Goat, but Capricorn did not yield.

"I believe that Regulus has reached its zenith… Zoldeo!"

"NO! DON'T SAY THAT NAME! YOU KNOW WHAT IT DOES TO MEEE!" The man screamed as a sort of black sludge burst from Leo's stomach and took the form of a screaming man, who crumpled back down to the ground, howling all the while. "NOOO!"

"Thank you, Capricorn…" Leo wheezed out as the Sea Goat leaned over him, ensuring he was alright.

"I apologize, Sir. I didn't want to use excessive force."

"No, it's alright… You had to use that much power. It's the only possible way you could have separated us!"

Zoldeo looked up shakily at the two Celestial Spirits.

"I don't get it… How are you even able to move, Capricorn?!"

Capricorn paused before giving his answer. There was no harm in regaling a defeated enemy.

"Just moments before you took control over Sir Leo's body… he was able to grant me the use of his Magic. Regulus, also known as the Light of the King."

"WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! No! That was a transferal of Magic Power!" At Leo's chuckle, Zoldeo dipped his head before screaming to the world at large. "Curse you… RAAAGH! All that matters is that I'm finally myself again!

In that moment, he grunted in pain as his body seemed to pulsate with a purple light, indicating something was wrong. Zoldeo looked down as his hands began to fade away in bits of golden Magic energy.

"Huh…? NO! I feel like my body is disintegrating! What's happening to me?! Make it stop, _please_!" He reached toward Capricorn helplessly. "Capricorn, help! Don't let me disappear like this! You have to help me! LADY LAYLAAA…!"

With this final cry, Zoldeo disappeared for good. Loke shook his head sadly.

"So that's the fate of those who dare to break a sacred rule of Magic…"

Capricorn frowned as he dipped his head solemnly, still supporting Leo from falling over.

"… It happened twenty years ago. Lady Layla had suddenly fallen ill. She was forced to retire from Wizardry. Since she no longer had any use for us, she decided her three Spirits – Aquarius, Cancer, and myself – would be passed onto three of her servants. One of them was Zoldeo. My Key was given to him. However, before I moved on, Lady Layla and I made one other Contract…" Capricorn reflected on that day, which had been so long ago. He'd promised to protect Lady Layla's family for all eternity.

"I see… so that's how you were Contracted to Lucy." Loke muttered.

"Yes, that's correct," Capricorn confirmed. "In the beginning, Zoldeo consented to the arrangement. However, it wasn't long before he was forced to leave the Manor. He began travelling aimlessly. Eventually, he was exposed to the Dark side of Magic."

"I'm guessing he then broke a sacred rule, and ended up merging with you…" Loke mused. "That kind of power… can sometimes push people toward the dark side. I know, because I witnessed it first-hand. I can honestly say there's nothing more painful. So tell me something… Waddya say to helping Layla's daughter now that you're free?"

"… I've yet to meet her, but from seeing how you speak of her… I can tell she loves her Spirits, and they love her in return." The Sea Goat smiled wistfully. "That said… I can't. I'm sorry, Sir Leo, it's too late. I can't offer her my help now.

He grinned at Loke's quizzical glance.

"I'm only saying that because she already has my power at her full disposal. Finally… I can return to my rightful owner."

In spite of how misleading the Sea Goat was at first, Loke cracked a smile at his sentiment. Yeah, that was something they could both agree on…

* * *

Lucy looked down in shock as she saw her hip pouch glow, indicating Loke's return as well as something else – another Golden Gate Key materializing in her collection.

"What's the matter? Is Loke in trouble?" Levy asked worriedly as Bickslow kept an eye out for intruders. Freed was setting up an Enchantment, and Wendy was seeing to Simon and Wally's injuries, since they'd recently arrived. Mest was… sitting by himself with a grim expression.

Lucy blinked at Levy's inquiry.

"Nuh-uh! He was just telling me he won!" Lucy giggled. Levy beamed at the blonde's enthusiasm.

"I knew he could do it…"

"He says he doesn't want to go into all the details right now, but… apparently, Capricorn's switched over to our side! Also, he says the fight really took it out of him, so he's going to try to recover his strength by going back to the Celestial World."

"That is good to hear…" Simon smiled with relief while Wendy tended to Wally. "Capricorn was one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, so at most there's six more to take down now… Perhaps it's not much progress, but it is a step toward the right direction."

Lucy beamed at Simon's compliment, and nodded her head. Yeah, it sucked that they were so overrun, but at least now the enemy was down one of their strongest members…

* * *

Ultear smiled pleasantly as she approached the raven-haired youth standing beside a small waterfall. It appeared that she had found her quarry at last. However, just as she was about to greet her Lord, a voice suddenly speaking from a tree branch above her made her jump out of her skin at the abrupt appearance of a third party.

"What do you think you're doing… Ultear…?" Natsu casually questioned as he crossed his arms and glared down at the Councilor he thought he knew. The Dark mage looked back up at him with a mixture of surprise, apprehension, and… something else.

Well, well. Today was all about fateful encounters, wasn't it…?

* * *

 **Author's Note: … That's a wrap for now. Covered a handful of episodes with this Chappie. Maybe Capricorn's bit was 'unnecessary', but he's surprisingly one of my favorite characters. Say what you will about Lucy, but Capricorn's an awesome Spirit. Same with Loke. XD**

 **Two Kin down, five to go. How will the battlefields unfold? Find out next time on DB… whoopsies. Wrong anime. XD I wanted to get this out, so I hope you enjoyed it a little.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

Milliana tilted her head as she watched Erza look out at the sea in the Port of Hargeon. The sun was already halfway below the horizon, and there'd been no sign of either of Fairy Tail's ships. Granted, the Trials had been known to last an entire day in the past, so them returning the next morning wasn't unusual per se… But Erza did know Gildarts. He was known for performing his duties and then leaving as soon as he could, because he just loved moving onto the next challenge out on the open road. The scarlet knight figured he would come back with a few of the challengers who failed the first part of the Trials, but not even he had made it back.

It was enough to make Erza slightly concerned.

"Everything okay, Erzy?" Milliana timidly asked as she walked closer to the redhead. Erza blinked as she registered the brunette's voice; she must have spaced out. Something she'd been doing a lot lately.

"I'm fine, Milliana. Just… lost in thought, I suppose."

Milliana tried to give a reassuring smile at seeing her friend's insecurity. She couldn't help worrying about Sho, Simon, and Wally, too, but they were in capable hands. The cat fanatic doubted anything would be able to put Natsu down in a fight.

"I'm sure they're okay! Natsu's there! And Master, Gray, and Mira!" The brunette pouted cutely. "And Happy, Carla, and Lily, too."

Erza chuckled a little at Milliana's attempt to lighten the mood. She then turned back to face the sea.

"I know… I just can't shake the feeling something is happening… or will happen. I don't know. Natsu can handle himself, but I can't help worrying a little bit… for everyone."

Milliana wasn't quite sure what else to say at this point, so she remained silent. It pretty much summed up what she was thinking, too. Erza was more 'attuned' for these type of things, so she'd just take Erza's word for it. A few moments later, Kagura walked up to the two of them.

"Let's return to the hotel. We can check for them in the morning," the purple-haired mage advised, to which Milliana nodded timidly and moved to follow Kagura right away. Erza took a few more moments before following after them. She raised a clenched fist to her bosom before closing her eyes calmly.

 _'Just make it back… Please.'_ With this silent plea, the scarlet knight turned on her heel and returned to the hotel…

* * *

"What do you think you're doing… Ultear…?"

A cold breeze flitted through the area as the three mages stood at a tense standoff – Natsu up in a tree, Ultear directly below him, and the mysterious raven-haired youth standing with a shocked expression a little ways from them.

"Natsu…" The young man murmured in disbelief. How had they found one another again? Was it the woman? Apparently the Dragon Slayer knew her.

For a few moments, all Ultear did was look Natsu in the eye as he scowled at her. If she was honest with herself, the Dark Mage had never envisioned running into Natsu here. True, he was here for the Trials, but she had suspected he'd have his hands full with Azuma, Rusty Rose, or even Zancrow. For circumstances to stack up so… "conveniently," it made Ultear wonder if there was some higher power at work here.

That or Hades saw through her deception… Worst case scenario right there.

"Natsu! Fancy meeting you here." Ultear smiled kindly despite the hindrance. Did she mention that she absolutely _despised_ the concept of fate? No? Well, now you know.

"Don't screw with me!" Natsu all but snarled. "TELL ME WHY YOU'RE HERE!"

Ultear's smile dropped as Natsu rather insisted on dragging this out… He could be rather melodramatic, the idiot.

"What does it look like?" The dark-haired beauty raised an elegant eyebrow up at him. "I'm not in my 'Councilwoman's garb'. and I didn't come searching for you, if that's what you're worried about."

"…" Natsu nothing, but his piercing glare did not waver. Ultear sighed breezily as it seemed the Dragon Slayer wanted her to spell it out. To confirm what he realized the moment he detected her.

"I'm here for Zeref, Natsu. I'm the leader of Grimoire Heart's elite fighting force, the Seven Kin of Purgatory. Have been for quite some time."

"Why…?" Natsu's voice was barely above a whisper, but the Arc of Time mage heard him. She'd known from the day they met this very moment was coming. Though admittedly, she had also been expecting something more… explosive, at least back when they were first associating with one another. It spoke volumes just how hard this hit him for such a 'reserved' initial reaction.

Ultear closed her eyes patiently as the Dragon Slayer took it all in.

"What? Did you think we were special friends or something? I warned you from the very beginning, it's not wise to trust everyone so implicitly. I was never once truly your ally. You were an amusing distraction while the rest of my Guild hunted down the Keys to awakening Zeref." The Arc of Time Mage reopened her eyes to stare up at the Pyro coyly. In her 'amusement', she did miss how the raven-haired youth stood rigidly at the mention of 'Keys'. "Don't take it so hard… Just let it go, and move on."

Natsu clenched his fists until his knuckles popped. _This_ was her excuse?! How could she spout any of this crap with a straight face?! HOW!

"Screw that!" The Dragon Slayer snarled. "You know me well enough that I don't trust just anybody! Cut the bullshit! I didn't just 'imagine' the last few years. Yeah you were a shameless flirt when you started, but it wasn't all searching for tomes and other odd jobs in Era! You took the time to get to know me. Even Erza. You attended our wedding! Hell, you _personally_ came to inform me of Jellal's death! _How_ can you say all of that was a damn lie?!"

Ultear frowned lightly as he brought up their history. … So, he noticed it, too. Natsu really was more perceptive than people gave him credit for… Even so.

"Did you know I was responsible for the most painful tragedy of your wife's past?" Ultear smirked coldly as Natsu stiffened, having an inkling he knew where she was going with this. "That's right. All that flirting? That was playground bullying compared to how I impacted her eight years ago. Jellal wasn't possessed by some malevolent spirit of Zeref… No. I used Possession Magic to warp him into the perfect puppet; the plan was for him to build the Tower of Heaven and get the Council riled up enough to use Etherion, which would then make the Council lose face – perhaps they would have even disbanded. Either way, the initial plan became unnecessary, and I adjusted accordingly. But as a result, you got to play the hero – wasn't that generous of me?

When Natsu got quiet, his head bowed and his arms rigidly at his sides, Ultear shook her head mirthfully and placed a hand on her hip.

"Do you understand now? I'm the one responsible for the circumstances that led to Jellal's death. It doesn't matter whether I was 'intimate' with you or not; perhaps it was merely a pathetic attempt to soften the betrayal for you. I see now that I was wrong to do so."

"Do you know… how many lives that man ruined…? How many lives he _ended_ …?" Natsu asked in a dead tone of voice that she had never heard from him before. It sent shivers down her spine. When he lifted his head enough to look her in the eyes, there was unbridled anger that further made the Dark Mage question her overall strategy. "Did you count them? I don't care if that was truth or lie! You _never_ treat a sin like that as if it were nothing! _Never_!"

"Natsu…" Ultear started, but was cut off by the enraged Dragon Slayer.

"Not to mention what that did to Erza, Simon, and the others… Damn it, Ultear, what have you _done_?!" The pink-head dipped his head again, and Ultear was at a loss for what to say or do. The whole point was to get him angry at her, granted, but _why_ was there a pang in her chest at seeing him so emotional? For once in her life, she was being selfless in revealing a cold truth that Natsu deserved to know… Hell, she was going to fix all her mistakes when she got her hands on Zeref! Arc of Time would see to that; she should be able to wash her hands of this timeline without any qualms.

So… why?

"Natsu-"

"WE'RE DONE TALKIN'!" Natsu raged as he surged toward Ultear with fire igniting his feet, easily snapping off the sturdy tree branch he'd previously been on. Needless to say, the sudden speed had caught the Dark Mage off-guard, and she was struck back into a cliff-face harshly. Her eyes widened when the Dragon Slayer moved in for an immediate follow-up, barely any time to catch her breath. "FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

On impulse she used one of her orbs to absorb the breath attack, but she was startled when it shattered from the amount of Magic it took in. Natsu really wasn't pulling his punches this time; she'd incurred the wrath of a Wizard Saint, and Ultear frankly wasn't sure if she'd live through it. She had confidence in her abilities to be sure, but this was the same man that had beaten Jellal when he was empowered by her Possession Magic, and the same man that had defeated half the Oracion Seis, including their insane leader.

Yeah. Her doubts weren't unwarranted.

* * *

Kain Hikaru's eyes widened as he looked up into the sky. Here he'd been wandering around for hours, and he'd _finally_ found someone!

"Whoa! I must be seeing things!" The giant of a man exclaimed in disbelief. This garnered the attention of the flying blue Exceed that was toting Sho back to base camp.

"Uh-oh… I think one of those Grimoire Heart guys spotted us!" Happy panicked, which got Sho to look down at the Dark Mage.

"J-Just fly us as fast as you can! No way he can keep up!" The blond exclaimed fearfully, but Happy's efforts were all for naught. Because _somehow_ , the man was able to leap high into the air and turn himself into iron, which bluntly sent both human and Exceed plummeting to the ground. They both quivered fearfully when Kain came crashing back down and left craters in the ground with his feet as he stood over them.

"It's about time! My stomach is trying to eat itself and you guys have been mean, hiding from me!" The 'big-boned' mage wailed eccentrically. Happy and Sho glanced up at him in a mixture of fear and confusion.

"This guy's a weirdo!" Happy whined, and Sho could only nod in agreement. But in the next moment, there was a flash of light from Sho's pocket, and Cana soon joined them on the ground in a puff of smoke, looking completely exasperated.

"What now?!" The brunette demanded as she looked from the distressed faces of her friends to the big guy towering over them. A tick mark appeared on her forehead. "… Oh, you are _kidding_ me! You guys are the worst!"

"S-Sorry…" Happy and Sho meekly apologized, knowing it was rather pointless at the time. Cana shifted her glare to the opponent in front of them.

"Lemme guess, you're one of Grimoire Heart's elites!"

Eccentrically, Kain tensed up and in a blur hid behind a nearby tree.

"Ya know, glaring at me like that ain't gonna save ya! You might think it's intimidating… but it's not!" Kain frequently peeked out from behind the tree. "Do you have any idea who I am, lady?! I'm Kain Hikaru, one of the deadly Seven Kin of Purgatory! I'm super strong and stuff!"

Alright, Cana had had enough. She got back on her feet and pointed furiously at the seemingly timid man.

"I don't care if you're the friggin' Guild Master! Because of you idiots, I have to wait even longer for promotion! You're gonna pay!"

"Duhhh…" Kain eccentrically held up one hand as he stepped out into the open again. "First, answer one question! I feel… something bristly on my head… Do you see anything?"

As he combed his hand through his hair, Cana gave a deadpan stare.

"Are you talking about your hair?" She sighed as he pointed at her as if he just remembered he had hair. Sho and Happy stood up behind her, even more weirded out by this guy. "Great… Another weirdo…"

Digging around in his cloak, Kain looked at his foes seriously.

"Fine, you asked for it now! Prepare to face my Witching Hour Curse Magic! You shoulda run while you had the chance!"

"Awkward and creepy…" Cana muttered. Looking back at her allies sourly, she said, "What have you gotten me into?"

"We said we were sorry!" Happy whined. Huffing, Cana turned back around and sweatdropped as Kain was holding up some kind of bizarre doll as he edged closer to them.

"Before I destroy you… do you mind giving me a strand of your hair?" At their perplexed looks, the Dark Mage whined. "Come ooon! If you don't gimme a strand of your hair, I can't curse you with my Cursey Doll!"

Cana backed up warily.

"Yeah… not happening!"

"All I need is one flimsy little strand, and Mr. Cursey will allow me to control you however I want! You'll be pudding in my hands! Mmm… Pudding…"

Cana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Telling me freaky stuff like that isn't going to help you get your hands on my hair!" She sweatdropped again as Kain pointed at her like she'd spoken some amazing revelation. "You're just realizing this now?! Besides… everybody knows that voodoo dolls are bogus! You can't scare me with a bluff, doughboy!"

Kain scowled in frustration.

"Huh? That's not his name." He tilted his head before narrowing his eyes. "I already told you it's Mr. Cursey, get it straight, lady! You don't hafta be rude just because I wanna kill ya!"

Cana held up her hands peaceably.

"Uhhh… No, I mean bluff as in an exaggeration? You know, like telling people you're bloated instead of fat?"

Kain reeled back in shock slightly.

"Huh?! Wait, are you calling me a liar?! 'Cause that's even worse!" Kain rapidly ran a hand through his hair as he grunted in exaggerated effort. Cana, Sho, and Happy backed away from him unsure of what he was trying to do now.

"I think I just lit a short fuse on a stick of stupid!" Cana bemoaned. When he tore out a strand of his hair and cried out, she further panicked. "This guy's a total nutjob!"

"If that's what you think, then give it a try for yourself!" Kain leaned down with the strand still in his hand.

"… Are you messing with me?" Cana asked incredulously. But Kain placed the strand of hair on top of Mr. Cursey's head and made sure it stuck.

"I'll use my bristle for demonstration! Just stick it on Mr. Cursey's head like this!" He then pumped his fists in the air triumphantly. "HE'S READY!"

"I seriously hope this creep doesn't reproduce…" Cana muttered.

"Now go ahead and give it a try!"

Cana tentatively accepted the doll from Kain and experimentally lifted it in her hands. Happy and Sho hovered around her to get a better look at the doll. Kain also hovered over them as he remained chipper.

"There, see! Do ya feel the power?! You can apologize to me anytime now! Feel free to give up plenty hugs and kisses, too!" Kain rubbed his tummy eccentrically. "By the way, I'm starting to get hungry, so can we fight later…? WHOA!"

Cana waved the doll in the air and brought it down the ground, resulting in Kain crashing down painfully. She cackled with delight. Oh, maybe fighting this guy wouldn't be so tough after all!

"Okay, that's enough, lady!" Kain exclaimed, but Cana continued to play around, turning him upside down and yanking his legs apart. He grunted out painfully, "It's my turn now…!"

But Cana didn't stop. She spun him around like a top before making him go through yoga poses and eventually model poses.

"Dance, dance, spin! That's right, feel the burn! You can do it, tubby!"

"YOU WITCH! Gimme Mr. Cursey!" Kain insisted as he held out his hands to her.

"What's the rush? There are still lots of embarrassing poses we haven't tried yet!" Cana snorted in amusement. She sweatdropped when he came to 'accept' these poses.

"Yeah, baby! Check it! Like that?" Each exclamation punctuated by a different pose.

"You're not supposed to enjoy it!" Cana grumbled as she temporarily stopped controlling the Dark Mage. In that moment, Kain struck.

"You know what?! SCREW YOU!" He snatched Mr. Cursey back and smacked the Cards mage away. Kain stomped his foot down onto the ground and glared down his regrouping enemies. "Alright, now I'm angry! And you can just forget about asking me out on a date, ya hear me?! I won't waste my feelings on a bully who won't share her toys!"

"Trust me, I'll find a way to get over it!" Cana grumbled with a tick mark on her forehead again. In the next moment, she, Sho, and Happy were running and flying for their lives as Kain charged at them with a surprising burst of speed.

"It's time for a nonstop ride on the Kain Pain Train! CHOO-CHOO!" He alternated between extended arms as he awkwardly ran yet managed to keep up with the mages from Fairy Tail. It was freaking them out. "Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga!"

Cana looked back with a twitchy expression as she readied one of her cards.

"Sorry, but I'm putting the brakes on this train!"

"Don't run away from me! Why can't you accept my feelings for you?!" He eccentrically burst into rivers of tears as he kept charging them. Cana growled and tried to use her Explosion Cards to impede his movements, but in the end, when the streams of fires died down and the dust settled, the Dark Mage was still hot on their trails. It made Cana grit her teeth in frustration.

" _How_ is this guy so light on his feet?! This is ridiculous!" Cana ranted as she and Sho _tried_ to kick up the pace. They weren't having much success, but at least Happy was gaining some altitude…

Damn it. Furry traitor!

* * *

Laxus gritted his teeth as he avoided another broad wave of black flames. As he'd been quick to discover, his instincts had been spot-on about avoiding them at all costs… He'd lost his coat to those things, and got mildly burned from that alone. Sure, he'd gotten in some hits himself – Lightning Dragon's Breakdown Fist had been the most effective so far because of its long range, but Zancrow was a tenacious bastard. For a relatively 'scrawny' guy, the Fire God Slayer had earned his title as one of the Seven Kin.

Even so. Those black flames might be as hot as flames from the pits of Hell, but they weren't in the most 'capable' of hands. Sure, Zancrow was the epitome of destruction – Laxus could tell he was a lot more violent than Natsu – but because of that, he didn't try to control his attacks very well. Natsu had at least that going for him when he got serious, renowned destruction on Quests notwithstanding. Laxus could overcome a force of nature like Zancrow, and he did. The next time he knocked the Dark Mage down, Laxus conjured his Lightning Dragon's Jaw to strike his downed opponent; the electricity that discharged afterward was powerful enough to form a crater around the two of them, and Zancrow did not get back up again after that.

"Tch. You got off easy," Laxus stared down in contempt at the pain-stricken face of his unconscious foe. He knelt down and slung the blond over his shoulder. "… But I guess dragging things out isn't an option right now… Who knows how the others are faring? What a mess."

This said, Laxus set off for base camp. Leaving Zancrow lying around was just asking for trouble; the others would be able to look after him and ensure he didn't cause any more trouble. He also needed to look into that explosion from earlier… He couldn't shake the feeling that spelled trouble for them…

* * *

Aboard Grimoire Heart's airship, which was now floating in the water just off the beach of Tenrou, Master Hades was lounging with a cup of wine. He chuckled darkly even as a shadowed figure approached him in the dimly lit room.

"Now this is truly entertaining…"

"I am pleased to find you in such high spirits, milord." His guest said in greeting, to which Hades eyed him in amusement.

"Of my elite Seven Kin, three have already been bested." Hades mused as he removed his helmet. "To think that Azuma, who was our secret trump card, was the first to fall. It would appear that Makarov has trained all of his children well…"

"Should I go down there…?"

"Not now." Hades denied the man. "I'm afraid this is not your battle to fight. Stand down, Bluenote."

'Bluenote' sneered.

"I can't let those beneath me have all the fun, can I? After all… I can't risk my body going _soft_." The man laid one hand on the table Hades was sitting at and generated a mysterious force that rattled the entire airship. Hades was not intimidated, for he knew how powerful Bluenote was. Eventually, the water around the ship began to tower over it, threatening to submerge it all.

"That is quite enough." Hades dryly ordered. A moment later, Bluenote lifted his hand and the shaking ceased.

"What's the matter? If we submerge the ship, they have no hope of finding us!"

"Makarov's followers will surely try to come aboard, unaware of the horrors that await them." Hades reasoned. "Never suspecting they've ventured into the Devil's Heart before it's too late."

"You'd rather your prey fling themselves into your gullet?" Bluenote snorted in contempt. "I prefer the thrill of the hunt!"

"Some other time, perhaps." Hades denied him again as he sipped his wine. "I don't want you to throw my plans into disarray. So you'll remain here."

"Tch. Almost half your prized fighting force is down! If one more of them should fall… I'm going in." Bluenote darkly promised. "I'm ready to fly!"

Hades smirked as he watched the man stalk off. At the rate events were progressing, his Ace would be entering the fray. While he was against the notion of 'overkill', Hades _was_ a bit perturbed that Azuma had been taken down… There was still the chance Ultear could salvage the situation, but she was currently being overwhelmed by Salamander, and regrettably Zeref had slipped through her grasp as soon as the Dragon Slayer began his relentless assault.

"Hmph…" Hades grunted as he leisurely sipped his wine. This state of affairs was unacceptable.

* * *

Lahar narrowed his eyes as the flapping of wings caught his attention; it appeared that Fairy Tail's resident Demon was dropping in for a visit… and she came bearing a gift. In moments, Mira reached the battered Council warship and touched down, lugging the frozen Azuma with her.

"… I take it you want us to look after this one." The Head Captain dryly remarked as the Takeover Mage allowed his officers to take Azuma into custody.

Mira curled her lips at the man's less than warm welcome. It wasn't like she expected to be received with open arms, but some gratitude would have gone a long way.

"Let's just say… it would have been a bad idea bringing him deeper into the island." Mira deadpanned before turning back to face Tenrou. At his inquisitive look on her back, she revealed, "… He's the one that damaged your ships. He also possesses the Great Tree Arc Magic, which is fairly self-explanatory."

There was a tense silence as Lahar glowered at the Fairy Tail mage. Regardless of her generosity, the Head Captain felt obligated to remind her of the current circumstances.

"You do realize this changes nothing? Fairy Tail will be investigated _quite_ thoroughly after this mess is cleaned up. I don't believe for a second that you lot don't have ties with Grimoire Heart; it's far too convenient."

Despite the clear threat, Mira couldn't help smirking back at the man.

"Well, you'll be quite disappointed, then. I don't know who put that notion in your head, but we'll be more than happy to hand you another leading member of the Balam Alliance on a silver platter. They're trespassing on our sacred ground, after all…" With a flap of her wings, Mira took to the air again and headed back toward Tenrou. Lahar watched her departure with a scowl; the self-righteous attitudes of the mages of Fairy Tail pissed not only him off, but his superiors as well. In spite of the fact that they held the power to disband Fairy Tail, that rebellious lot still acted so cocky… It was maddening.

* * *

Ultear panted as she gripped her left shoulder painfully in a crouched position. Lord Zeref had escaped because of her stupidity; she was berating herself for her complacency. They were so close to attaining the Grand Magic World, but that didn't give her a freebie to be arrogant. 'Cutting her ties' with Salamander might've seemed like a good idea in theory, yet in practice it was terrible. Of course he would react violently to hearing some of her machinations of the past, _especially_ when they impacted his wife in such a way.

"Guh…" The Arc of Time mage grunted as she stared at the Dragon Slayer, who ignited one fist in flames and charged the other in lightning; if he was going to start unleashing those attacks, she was finished. No other way around it. Her Magic did little to hinder Salamander's relentless assault; there were likely only two people that could hope to overpower the Fire Dragon Slayer, and both were on the airship in all likelihood.

However, just before he closed the distance between them again, Kain dropped in from out of nowhere as a couple other Fairies rolled to a stop nearby. The fat Dark Mage was slugged into the sturdy cliff-face behind her, and he looked quite dazed when the dust settled.

"What the heck?!" Natsu glared at the unwelcome hindrance before turning his gaze to Cana and Sho, who were massaging the top of their heads. "What are you guys doing back here? I had this covered!"

Cana looked between him and the two Dark Mages before grinning sheepishly.

"Yeah, well… Thanks for getting the marshmallow off our backs."

Happy floated down in the next moment and gazed at Natsu with wide eyes.

"That guy's crazy, Natsu! He plays with dolls and he's probably got a tummy as big as yours!"

Natsu stared at his pal deadpan.

"You mean he's always going on about being hungry?" He sighed at Happy's vigorous nod. He didn't have time for this sideshow. He needed to beat some sense into Ultear for all that crap she was spouting earlier…

"Kain. Care to tell me what you're doing here…?" Ultear stood back up with some effort as Kain groaned and rubbed his face.

"Oh yeah… Sorry. I was fighting those two 'n their little dog, and I almost finished 'em off."

"Looks like you had her on the ropes," Sho remarked as he noticed Ultear's roughed-up state. He rubbed the back of his head at Natsu's scowl, which was directed at the Arc of Time mage more than him. "S-Sorry…"

"Nah, it's not you…" Natsu sighed after a few moments. Despite the 'inconvenience', he couldn't really turn them away and leave them to their fate. He'd beat the fat tub of lard to a pulp, too; then Grimoire Heart would be down two of its Seven Kin.

"My tummy's rumblin'…" Kain darkly muttered in their tense standoff.

"We're really going to take two of them at once…?" Sho meekly wondered. Cana and Natsu, on other hand, looked fully prepared for that. Ultear kept to an eerie silence.

Kain eventually pointed at the Fairy Tail mages furiously.

"That does it! I'll take care of these bratty kids, just leave it to me!" He assured his field leader. "First I'm gonna filet these three, and then! I'll barbecue their little blue dog!"

"Get it straight, Voodoo Belly, we're stickin' with three-on-two!" Natsu snarled back as he pointed at Kain just as accusingly. Cana nodded in agreement, but Sho sweatdropped.

"Um… I wouldn't mind taking them on one at a time…"

"I'm not a dog, but at least someone acknowledged me…" Happy grinned while staring down at the ground.

Ultear placed a hand on her hip as she continued to stare down the Fairy Tail mages, putting up a strong front for her subordinate.

"… Very well. I'll leave these three to you, then. Destroy them while I pursue Lord Zeref; he was here not too long ago, so he couldn't have gotten far."

Kain clapped giddily as he looked to his superior.

"That's great news! I hadn't realized you'd found him yet!"

Cana looked to Natsu incredulously when his face became grim.

" _Seriously_?! The boogeyman of the Magical World is here, and that's why we're being invaded?! If Grimoire Heart gets their hands on him, we're all screwed!"

"Che. I didn't even know that crybaby was that Dark Wizard 'til Ultear spilled their plans. He was the original reason I came looking for you guys, 'cause he was dangerous." Natsu replied.

"Wait! Ultear?! Like, that Councilwoman Ultear?!" Happy yelled out in shock, to Natsu's growing ire. The blue Exceed got a better look at the woman, and realized that yes, that was definitely the Councilwoman that requested Natsu for jobs and annoyed Erza. She was with Grimoire Heart?

Cana raised an inquisitive brow at the Dragon Slayer, but he only growled in annoyance. She was supposed to be his responsibility, because he got the feeling that there was more than Ultear was letting on, but at this point she could split off with her ally covering her…

"You're not getting away…!" Natsu snarled as he rushed forward to attack Ultear again, but Kain got in his path and repelled him back. Natsu glared at the fat Dark Mage who got into a sumo pose.

"Kill them quickly, we have no time to waste! Show them the full fury of the Seven Kin! Head back to the ship as soon as you're done decorating the forest with their entrails."

"No way! I've got a stomach to fill, and the main course just got served!" Kain replied darkly as Ultear began to run off. "There won't be any leftovers to decorate with."

Natsu growled as he reignited his fists in flames and lightning.

"Cana! Sho! Go after her…!" The Dragon Slayer screamed as he charged Kain. However, Cana froze inexplicably just as she started to run after Ultear. "What's the holdup?!"

"Look, I'm trying to move, but I can't…!" Cana grunted.

Kain held up Mr. Cursey as he smirked darkly.

"I snagged one of _your_ bristles when I was chasing you earlier. Now that you and Mr. Cursey are connected, it's time to serve up your just desserts!" Kain chuckled as he began to toy with the Cards mage. "Now, what was the first thing you did to me earlier…? Oh yeah! Show us those funky moves!"

"… What's going on here?" Natsu sweatdropped at the sight of Kain repeating everything Cana had done to him earlier.

"Just looks like a couple o' friends busting some moves!" Happy laughed. Kain grinned.

"Oh, we've moved past the friend stage at this point, doggy."

"Keep dreaming, Bristle Butt!" Cana yelled with a tick mark.

"Oh, don't be so shy! You love to dance and pose for me, don't you? Oh, yesss!" As he repeated making the model poses with the doll, Cana cried rivers of tears. "Looks like you're enjoying it, if you ask me!"

"NO! It's all in your head!" The brunette denied.

"Whenever he does something to that doll, it happens to Cana, too!" Happy made an obvious deduction, and Natsu and Sho marveled at the sight. Kain was just toying around at this point, but that didn't make him any less of a threat.

"Hippity-hoppity, wittle wabbit!" Kain taunted with a grin as he made the Cards mage hop around like a bunny.

Shaking his head angrily, Natsu reignited his fists with flames and lightning and brought them together.

"Alright, that's enough! Sorry in advance, Cana, but I gotta take this guy down! Lightning Fire Dragon's… BRILLIANT FLAME!"

Kain gaped at the huge vortex that Natsu sent barreling his way. Normally, he'd be confident in withstanding such an assault, but that thing was _really_ big…

"Uh-oh…" Kain muttered and screamed as the vortex overtook him and pounded him even more thoroughly into the cliff-face he'd slammed into earlier. Of course Cana got scorched and electrocuted as well, but when the attack subsided, Kain had a slack jaw as he slipped into unconsciousness, rubble from the cliff-face casually falling on top of him.

Natsu turned to Sho next as he grinned just a little.

"… Do ya mind? I'd like to not hafta deal with this bozo again…"

It took the blond a moment to realize what Natsu was referring to, but when he got it, he smiled sheepishly and used his Card Dimension Magic to capture the Dark Mage. Happy cheered at their victory, but his attention was soon drawn to the moaning collapsed form of Cana Alberona as her eyes swirled and her body sparked with electricity, small fires dotting her all over.

"Uh… I think ya overdid it, Natsu…" The cat sheepishly remarked. To which Natsu shook his head.

"I had to use that amount of force, Happy! It was the only way to knock that bastard out for sure. You saw how big he was."

The blue cat sweatdropped as the Cards mage let out an even more drawn out moan. … Yeah. No kill quite like overkill. That was Natsu's style alright. Sho once more stored his partner in a Card Dimension for 'easy transport' before looking to Happy tiredly.

"Do you mind giving us a lift back to base camp?"

"I would, but I exhausted all my Magic, trying to run away from tubby!" Happy lamented, to which the blond hung his head. Of course.

"Just stick with me for now." Natsu sighed at their predicament. "I gotta go after Ultear, but I'd hate for you to run into more of those guys. Who knows how many of the Kin are still out there? Gramps shoulda done something by now, but something made him shrink down again… I don't like any of this."

Happy and Sho nodded tentatively at his grim tone, and then followed after him as he used his nose to track down the Arc of Time mage.

* * *

"To think that Kain would be the next to fall…" Hades mused as he eyed the shadows where Bluenote had moved to earlier. His Ace had disappeared when he wasn't looking. "… He's already left. I'm sorry, Makarov, he was the last person I wanted to send into the fray… But your children have left me no choice."

Ultear, Rusty Rose, and young Meredy… they were the only members of the Kin left standing, and they all had their hands full at the moment. To think Grimoire Heart would be pushed to this extreme. Nevertheless, the tide would now change in their favor… of that Hades was certain.

* * *

 **Author's Note: … I wanted to continue on with Ultear, I really did, but you'll just have to wait for her 'conclusion' next time. I'm particularly looking forward to the reflection that comes afterward. She's so complex, and she's not all sorted out yet. Her objective was made clear here, but there's another layer to her character that even she isn't aware of yet.**

 **… Perhaps a certain Ice Make mage will help knock some sense into her. :D Funny how she's inextricably tied to 'Erza's boys' in this AU. Let's not forget Zeref, who's still running around… And Gajeel and Lily haven't been heard from for a while. Yep, yep. Still lots going on, but it's steadily getting resolved. Ultear's just one of my favorite bits of this arc… in addition to being one of my favorite characters of the FT series.**

 **On a somewhat unrelated note, Tempest35 and I are in the process of making a collaboration piece that'll both be a retelling of canon and will branch off from it somewhat as little details are added or merely sharpened into focus. Like Macao having more of a chance in the spotlight earlier on. … It's also a 'Triad Harem' fic for reasons you guys won't get 'til we progress that story… By 'Triad', I'm referring to Erza, Mira, and Ultear in this case, all going after Natsu-boy. Yeeeah, it's probably best if I don't disclose the contents of our PM exchanges… Lots of inspiration flying around, but also a lot of crazy. As Tempest might say, it's 'too soon' for that knowledge to be made known. Or at least the pervy bits. XD**

 **For those asking about Natsu's Choice – I'm working on the chapter, and MIGHT – key word – have the rest of it typed up sometime tonight, and have it posted for y'all. The writing for that is difficult because the impulse is to drag my heels on the plot, but there's really 'not much' to it, so what's the point of posting similar stuff over and over? I'll be surprised if I go over twenty chapters for that fic. Fifteen might be pushing it, but we'll see. Hope you guys enjoyed this a little.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

In a watered down forested area, Juvia and Lisanna were locked in a heated confrontation with Meredy of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. The pinkette materialized an arc of glowing swords around her body before poising them to strike at the two Fairy Tail mages.

"She can use Requip Magic like Erza?!" Lisanna couldn't believe it. But instead of identifying her Magic, she simply commanded her blades.

"Go."

And just like that, the glowing blades seemed to multiply as they flew straight at Lisanna and Juvia. Lisanna managed to jump out of the way, but Juvia more confidently stood in the midst of them.

"Nice try, but your swords will have no effect on me! My body is made entirely of…!" The bluenette screamed in pain as she was suddenly struck. _'I don't understand… How was she able to injure me?!'_

"When my blades strike, they stimulate the epi-pain receptors. One might say they're 'blades of sensation'."

"Just who are you?! Why is Grimoire Heart attacking us? _How_ did you even find us!" Lisanna demanded to know.

"I was not sent here to answer questions, just eliminate the enemy." Meredy replied stoically with a hardened glare. "That is the mission I was given."

* * *

"Aw, jeez… If it's not one thing, it's another." Gajeel growled as he and Lily entered the clearing where Makarov was still sprawled out. After they stomped that chicken-dog duo, the Iron Dragon Slayer had followed a hunch and went looking for the Master when his nose picked up the distinct scent of blood. Getting a gander at the Old Man now, his nose hadn't been lying…

"Who could have done this?" Panther Lily as they raced toward their fallen Master. Gajeel scowled as he knelt down and – thankfully – felt a pulse and saw the somewhat ragged rising and falling of the Old Man's chest.

"I dunno… But whoever did this is gonna pay. Bad enough they had to disrupt the Trials, but now they went and made it personal."

"Should we move him back to camp?" Lily asked, but the Iron Dragon Slayer shook his head.

"Yer forgettin' that Squirt and her cat are really uptight about this kind of crap. Who knows if they're even at camp? If we move him around for nothin' and make him worse, they're gonna lose it. No, we need to bring them here."

"But do you think you can find them in time? What if he gets worse?" Lily persisted.

Gajeel stood up from his crouched position and sighed.

"He's stable enough. If the twerp is with that partner of hers still, he might be able to get us back real quick." At Lily's suspicious glance, Gajeel rolled his eyes. "I know, I know, he's suspicious. But we could really use him right now to get around and clean up this mess… Ugh."

There was a brief silence before Panther Lily looked up at Gajeel again.

"I'll stay here and look after him. We don't want someone from Grimoire Heart finding him and finishing the job." He received a nod from his partner, but Gajeel soon looked down when he felt something tugging at his ankle.

"Gajeel… You must warn the others to leave the island at once!" Makarov declared in a raspy sounding voice that still carried an iron will behind it. Both Dragon Slayer and Exceed stared at the man in disbelief.

"Like hell…" Gajeel growled, but Lily quickly cut him off in a concerned voice.

"Master, who did this to you?! Does Grimoire Heart truly have someone that strong in their ranks?"

Makarov sighed tiredly at the scathing reminder of just 'who' had done this to him. Precht's betrayal was a truly unforeseen tragedy.

"That doesn't matter, Panther Lily… All you must know is that he possesses immense Magical Power. Not one of you kids will be a match for him yet… not even Gildarts."

"Master…" Lily trailed off uncertainly, but his partner growled in frustration.

"Pull yourself together, Gramps! Do ya really think we'll just let these guys walk all over us? Salamander's still up and about, 'n so is that Team Mira combo… Laxus and Gildarts, too, and don't go forgettin' there's me! The next S-Class mage. Heh." Gajeel casually remarked with a smirk, to which Makarov looked up at him with a shaky stern glare.

"Gajeel…"

Oh, but the Iron Dragon Slayer was havin' _none_ of that.

"Don't ya see? This is exactly what happened with Phantom! Ya know, the Guild _I_ used to belong to. Aria got the drop on ya, but your S-Classers beat the Element Four and your own grandson beat Jose. Looks grim now, but we'll make a comeback. Don't you forget that!" With a cocky smirk on his lips, the Iron Dragon Slayer bolted off before he could hear more of Makarov's 'quitter talk'. Really, it was shameful when everybody's grandfather figure was the first one ready to throw in the towel.

The aged Guild Master watched Gajeel go with a frustrated grunt. Natsu would probably be telling him much the same thing right now, and Makarov couldn't help feeling a tad outmaneuvered in that logic battle. The old Precht that he fondly remembered would surely be chiding him for not setting a better example, if he were here.

"I'm sure everything will be okay." Panther Lily assured the elderly Dreyar as they stood and laid there in silent companionship. All Makarov could do was offer a pained, closed-eyes grin.

"Heh… I'll leave it to you kids 'til these old bones get healed up a little. Can't let you have all the fun." Panther Lily smiled as the Master's enthusiasm slowly returned. That was more like it. The Exceed had faith that they would win the day.

* * *

The sun had set, and storm clouds had arrived at Tenrou Island. There was only one dispirited soul on the beach at the designated time for regrouping and checking progress. Not even Ultear was anywhere in sight.

"The sky's tears wash away my own desires…" Rusty Rose lamented as the rain poured down on him. "Its eyes turn gloomy with a looming darkness."

It unsettled him that he was the only one of the Kin to return on schedule. Were the Fairies the others encountered truly so fearsome? He half-expected Zancrow to be here early, whining about the 'crappy' rain before bellowing at Kain to shut up about his bottomless stomach. But no one, not even the 'mighty' Azuma, had made it here but him. He'd been waiting there at least ten minutes, but no one showed.

Well… until the last person he'd expected to see up and about stalked over to him with a fierce scowl.

"Are you all truly so pathetic that I had to come out here and finish the job myself? Four of you have fallen while only the women remain out there fighting. You are an embarrassment."

"B-Bluenote…" Rusty whispered in shock, gaping at the Ace with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Have we truly fallen to such a deplorable state? Azuma, Zancrow, Kain, Caprico… _All_ of them have withered away like dead leaves? I find that hard to believe, given that there isn't a skilled warrior in the bunch. My war drum beats a soft and steady rhythm."

Bluenote snorted contemptuously.

"Then you have not battled nearly enough." The Ace declared without room for debate. He began to walk in the direction of the Fairy Tail base camp. "Come. The rabble has failed to strike down their stronghold, where many of their wounded have gathered. We shall descend on them and slaughter the horde before the rest can regroup."

Bluenote said not a word more as he continued on his way. Rusty stared after him with a shiver travelling down his spine. This was _bad_ – for Master Hades to allow Bluenote to enter the fray, the state of affairs must have been quite unacceptable indeed. It would mean that he himself would not be able to enjoy 'feasting' on as much prey as he could stomach. Not with the Ace of Grimoire Heart fighting alongside him.

Still… Rusty could do nothing but follow after him. To disobey his orders would be like a wolf defying the dominant Alpha. In… blunter terms. Bluenote would 'discipline' him, which _could_ be an execution if he was cross enough. Rusty had good reason to feel a shaking in his hands…

* * *

Ultear clutched her side as she struggled to race through the forest in a desperate attempt to locate Zeref again. She'd put on a strong front for Kain, but the truth was that she couldn't continue on facing Salamander. Physically or emotionally. So like a coward, she ran. It wasn't that hard to stab that brute in the back when she planned on cutting ties with Grimoire Heart from the start. Their interests aligned about as far as acquiring Zeref… from there, their goals diverged. Ultear literally had no problems cutting her ties with this wretched timeline. What had it ever done for her? So why…?

"Why did he get me so rattled…?" Ultear spat in contempt. Her anger wasn't even directed at the Dragon Slayer that had put her in this state… She was livid at herself, and it wasn't for the reasons that they should have been! _Why_ was she angry with how she handled 'revealing the truth' to Natsu Dragneel? She was supposed to be the heartless, cruel leader of the Seven Kin. Not the 'Ultear Milkovich' façade that had gotten close to the Dragneels.

That was her mask, not her real face. And yet… at some point, the two seemingly became _reversed_. This cold shell that she bore to the world as a member of Grimoire Heart didn't feel authentic anymore. Something had… changed.

" _It doesn't make sense_!" The Arc of Time mage howled in frustration before collapsing to her knees on the soggy ground as the rain poured down on her. She panted heavily as she looked at her reflection in a small puddle close to her. Her hair wasn't completely neat anymore, her eyes were far from calm, and were those…?

… No. That was just the rain. She was _not_ rattled to that extent.

"You're tellin' me…" Oh. Oh, this was perfect. Just what she needed right now… More issues. "You look just like someone I knew a long time ago. I wonder if you have any relation?"

At the dry, smug tone of the man a few feet behind her, Ultear didn't even crane her head to face him as she stood back up with barely contained rage. This was the last thing she needed, but at the moment she just didn't care. If she couldn't be allowed to locate Zeref, then she would simply have to vent… And, oh my, a very convenient person just happened to volunteer himself for that thankless role.

"… I _am_ the daughter of Ur." The Arc of Time mage revealed without any hesitance. Gray raised his brow, looking at her back.

"What's Ur's daughter doing in Grimoire Heart? She thought you were dead."

Ultear sneered at Gray's 'defense' of her mother. Was that all?

"Hmph. She's dead to me… and so are you."

Gray tensed as she suddenly whipped around and sent a barrage of Arc of Time balls his way. He wouldn't just stand there and take the hits, but damn this was a mess… He'd get a straight answer out of her soon enough.

"ICE MAKE: WALL!" Gray called out and generated a wall directly in front of him to block the projectile orbs. Fortunately for him, he leaped back immediately after erecting that structure, because the orbs disintegrated the wall as if it wasn't even there and just kept coming.

When they did strike 'Gray', it was Ultear who was shocked because similar to the wall, her opponent disintegrated into nothingness. A Clone. Ultear looked warily around for the Ice Make mage but couldn't see him anywhere.

"Too afraid to come out and face me yourself?!" Ultear yelled out tauntingly, yet her only answer was a chuckle that echoed throughout their general area.

"That's rich, comin' from you. 'Cause it looked like you were runnin' from someone to me when I stumbled on you." To Ultear's ire, she couldn't pinpoint him even as he kept talking. A superior warrior to him in every way, and _she couldn't find him_. "What happened to you? I can't imagine Ur's daughter turning out like this. She loved you and wanted nothing more than to have you in her arms one last time, but you never came back!"

"Never came back…?" Ultear gnashed her teeth in aggravation, looking around with a heated glare. "You and that other boy _replaced_ me! I came back, but by that time it was already too late! That Witch _abandoned me_!"

From his concealed location, Gray frowned and his brow furrowed. That didn't sound like what Ur had told him at all. Arguing with Ultear now would be pointless, because _something_ gave her that impression. If she'd seen him and Lyon with Ur… all the more reason to not put his foot in his mouth right now.

A pink glow on his wrist suddenly caught his eye, and Gray narrowed his eyes at it. What now…?

* * *

Back with Juvia and Lisanna, Meredy had just got done explaining her Maguilty Sense to the two of them. At this point, there was a link between Meredy, Juvia, and Gray, wherever he was – all of them had a pink glow around their right wrists.

"With the Spell I've cast… me, you, and your beloved Gray are all one. All of our senses have merged. And if one of us were to die in this battle… Gray will die as well."

"You can't be serious!" Juvia stood up from the water and faced Meredy. "We all lose this way! No one lives."

"Precisely. That's how far I'm willing to go!" Meredy replied with conviction. "This is it! Death is all that's left for us! Make peace."

 _'What's this pressure on my back…?'_ Juvia wondered. _'Is this what my beloved Gray is feeling right now?'_

"I can feel Gray Fullbuster's connection!" Meredy spread out her arms. "There's no need to fight you anymore! In fact, I'm going to end this _right now_."

Juvia gasped as the pinkette materialized two swords and maneuvered them to chop off her own head. Lisanna attempted dash forward, but a stern glare from Meredy stopped her in her tracks.

"To do that, I will die!" Meredy yelled, and this time Juvia rushed forward to stop her.

"No, stop!"

"There's nothing you can do to stop me!" Meredy declared with finality. However, Juvia was rather quick to think of a method of stopping the Dark Mage.

"My love, forgive me!" Juvia wailed as she coated her arm in water and stabbed her left hip harshly. Meredy reeled back from the pain, and the two swords shattered out of existence. The three of them took a moment to collect themselves – Gray didn't know what was going on, but Meredy realized all too well what Juvia just did.

"You hurt yourself… for _him_?!" Meredy panted. "You're smart, I'll give you that, but causing me pain won't help! If you want to stop me, then you'll have to kill me! However, doing so will only aid my vengeance. Give up! You can't keep hurting yourself forever! Eventually your body will fail! But that doesn't matter to you, does it? You'll fight 'til your last breath. Don't you get it?! Nothing you do will change our fate! All roads converge on death for us! It's the only option!"

"No, that's not true!" Juvia argued. "If you leave Gray alone, we'll live! I used to be a lot like you… But joining Fairy Tail has taught me… that even my enemies deserve to live!"

Meredy stood back up and screamed.

"It's utter nonsense! I'll kill Gray Fullbuster and put Ultear's heart at ease!" She shrieked, materializing another sword in the air above her head and poising it at Juvia. The Water mage got back up as well and limped toward Meredy.

"Not if I can help it! If I have to knock us both out to stop you, then so be it!"

 _'I have to kill him… for her…!'_ Meredy wailed internally, and without realizing it, she shared a memory with the Water mage…

 _Young Meredy was sobbing amidst the ruins of her destroyed village. Eventually, Ultear wandered up to her stoically. However, something changed in her eyes as she continued to look at the young pinkette; and soon, she knelt down and comfortingly petted the top of her head._

 _"You don't need to cry anymore… No one's going to hurt you!" The Arc of Time mage soothed the little girl and calmed her down somewhat._

 _"What gives? Who's the little brat?" Zancrow suddenly jumped down near them as Kain walked up behind Ultear as well._

 _"She's a survivor." Ultear calmly explained._

 _"Dinner's waiting! Just kill her and be done with it." The rotund man cruelly replied._

 _This sent Meredy into another bout of crying, but Ultear smiled gently at her._

 _"… I'm going to take her with us."_

 _Well, Zancrow didn't seem to like that plan of action._

 _"You've gotta be out of your friggin' mind! Master Hades said to find Zeref's key and wipe out everyone in the city! That means her too!"_

 _But Ultear shook her head._

 _"She reminds me of myself when I was a little girl…" As Zancrow and Kain shared a look of distrust, Ultear swept the pinkette up into her arms and held her close. "I'll take full responsibility. Besides, I have a feeling she has a great gift to share with us…"_

 _"Suuure…" Zancrow deadpanned. Kain offered a small smile._

 _"So… dinner?"_

And another memory…

 _Meredy, looking as she did in the present, walked up to Ultear on the deck of their airship._

 _"Ur, why do you look so sad all the time?" The pinkette queried. Ultear shook her head mirthfully._

 _"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that? Ur's my deceased mother. The name 'Urtear' died with her."_

 _"She's dead?" Meredy probed. Ultear was at a loss at what to say for now._

 _"I'll… tell you about it someday."_

 _Sensing a range of sad emotions welling up in Ultear, Meredy embraced her arm._

 _"You're my mother… now and forever…"_

 _Ultear smiled lightly._

 _"I'm far too young to have such a mature, talented daughter!"_

It was as Meredy repeated her desperate thought and attempted to bring the sword down on herself that Juvia sliced it in half and hugged the pinkette tightly. But more than that…

 _'I don't understand… Why? Why is she crying…?'_ Meredy couldn't help thinking to herself. The Water mage's actions confused her greatly.

"You can feel love, I can see it!" Juvia whispered to Meredy as she pulled back and clutched the pinkette's shoulders. "You love someone, and they mean the world to you!"

Meredy just gaped at her in shock.

 _'How did she know…? Did I somehow share my memories with her through the link?'_

"Please live…" Juvia begged. Meredy kept wondering how this could be possible. "Live for her! Please! Like I live for the person I love! You don't have a choice! If you have love… You _have_ to live!"

As Juvia earnestly pleaded with her and shed more tears, Meredy could feel herself crying as she experienced Juvia's sadness through the link.

 _'Live… for Ultear…? These tears of love and life… They're unstoppable!'_ With this thought, both girls collapsed to their knees in the water, and to Lisanna's relief, the pink glow around their wrists was gone – which meant that Gray, wherever he was, was safe as well. Meredy fell back into the water and quivered. "I can't do it… please forgive me…"

"My beloved Gray… stay safe until I can find you…" Juvia wished with all her heart as she did the same in falling back into the water.

* * *

Back with Gray, he was rubbing at his eyes as he inexplicably felt tears running down his face.

"Tears… just what the hell is going on…?" Gray whispered as he tried to puzzle out what had been going on. That had been a _weird_ experience.

"Hmph. Seems like Meldy's handiwork." Ultear mused as she loomed over Gray, who reeled back at her sudden appearance.

 _'Damn it… she found me!'_ Gray roared internally. So much for playing things cautiously. He managed to block a spinning kick she dished out, but she followed up by lobbing an Arc of Time ball that turned into many as they continuously smashed into him.

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray announced his counterattack while he was airborne. And as the many shimmering beams of light rushed toward the Dark Mage, she conjured a Magic Circle in front of her.

"I'll simply cast your ice into the future! Sublimation!" And just like that, the ice harmlessly dispersed into mist. Gray attempted a few more attacks to see if that ability of Ultear's had a limit or anything, but each time his attacks were nullified. It was ridiculous!

"Damn… So my Ice attacks are useless, huh…?" He nimbly avoided another Arc of Time ball that spun around and shot out hundreds of duplicates. Ultear sneered at his predicament.

"Well, what did you expect?! I mastered Arc of Time to kill a Maker Magic Wizard! My mother. My whole life I've wanted nothing more than to do away with her…"

Gray trembled in fury at Ultear's callous remark.

"You're _sick_! You'd kill your own mother?!" He snarled and glared at her to gauge how serious she was about this. But she glared back just as heatedly.

"I've never stopped hating her…" The Dark Mage conjured hundreds of balls to strike at Gray from all directions, but he brought up an Ice Wall to shield him completely. However… "Nice try! Now… Flash Forward!"

Ultear evaporated Gray's Wall like she did his attacks and intensified the speed of her orbs to strike at the Ice Make mage. He howled in agony as he went flying back but was equally quick to bounce back to his feet.

"But why?! I _know_ Ur cared for you!" Gray sent a spiky Ice Floor her way, but just like the rest of his attacks, it failed as well.

"Did she?!"

"She used to cry, because she couldn't tell you how she felt!" Gray roared as he rushed to attack her physically, and Ultear repelled even that attack. Though it did not look easy for her, in her banged up state. As Gray stood back up in the crater of the wall he'd impacted with, Ultear sneered again.

"Resorting to brute force now that your Ice is useless…?"

"… No. I'll beat you with Ice. I'm gonna take you down with Ur's Magic." Gray declared with certainty as he coated his right arm in hefty hunk of spiked ice. He then slashed his side to draw blood and absorb it into the makeshift blade. "I've got a lot riding on my shoulders here, but what I learned from your mother… it gives me all the strength I need!"

He encased his left arm in ice as well, and it similarly filled up with blood. Then, he sprung toward his foe.

"I told you, it won't work…!" She roared, but she couldn't sublimate that ice like all the attacks before. Gray's twin blades struck true again and again until finally he knocked her back with a fierce blow.

"It's over! You can't control the time of living things!"

 _'No… That's not ice…! He's frozen his own_ blood _!'_ Ultear thought to herself in amazement.

"Ice Make… Seven Slice Dance!" Gray declared the name of this attack after slashing at her one more time, which resulted in heavy damage to Ultear and the ground beneath them.

Ultear could feel it… she was nearing her limit. Getting her ass handed to her by Natsu… her Arc of Time rendered useless by her _replacement_ … It made Ultear's blood boil. She would not lose here! The Dark Mage painfully got back on her feet and got in a stance that Gray recognized immediately. Was she…?

"Ice Make: Rosen Krone!" Ultear roared and unleashed her attack – giant ice sculptures of roses that struck Gray, but as she unleashed a second wave of them, he bounced off a giant rose and tackled her at a high rate of speed, sending them both skidding down a hill toward a cliff.

"How the hell did you become such an evil person?!" Gray insisted on knowing. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Like you care! You could never understand what I've been through!" As they reached the cliff, they didn't stop their momentum, and they fell straight off into the ocean below. "That Witch abandoned me! My own mother!"

"You said that before, but what do you _mean_?!" Gray shouted right back at her. He didn't receive an answer, though, as they crashed full throttle into the water.

Ultear could still recall those memories even as they sank into the water. Clear as crystal. Ur had brought her to the Bureau of Magical Development, a strange, unpleasant, and _lonely_ place where they conducted many painful tests on her. Every. single. day. But those 'tests' soon turned into 'hourly intervals', as that bastard Brain saw great potential in her as the daughter of Ur, who was purportedly close in strength to those of the Wizard Saints. One night she managed to shatter the window in her room on pure accident, but she used that as an opportunity to escape that hellish prison.

Naturally all Ultear could think about was returning home. Her mother was the only thing on her mind as she ran through the desert, then the mountains, and finally the snow to return home. Her tenacity got her to where she wanted to go despite the state her body was in because of the constant tests, and her heart would've exploded out of her chest at finally catching sight of her mother… but that same heart was shattered into a million pieces at seeing Ur training Gray and Lyon. She looked so… happy. And it made Ultear very angry at the seeming betrayal.

Ultear returned to the Bureau to willingly undergo those tests again. This time she _wanted_ to get stronger. Strong enough so that she could kill her mother. In the end, her power became so great that it brought down that hellhole and earned her a place in Grimoire Heart, after Brain abandoned the Bureau as he no longer had use for it. Master Hades soon introduced her to Arc of Time, explaining that in its current state it wouldn't allow her to become a time-traveller… But in the Grand Magic World, she would be able to.

This is what gave Ultear the strength to attack even while underwater; Gray similarly started up an Ice Make attack and unleashed it on her, and the two attacks stayed about even… until Ultear heard the distant voice of her mother.

 _"Please help me!"_

As a result, Gray's attack overpowered hers, and the Ice Make mage struck her as she continued to hear her mother's voice.

 _"I need help! Please, I'm begging you!"_

Ultear kicked Gray back in return.

 _'There it is again…'_

 _"My daughter's suffering because she was born with too much Magic Power! There's so much of it condensed into her tiny body that her fevers won't go away!"_

 _"Don't worry… I know of a facility that specializes in such cases."_

Ultear was overwhelmed as her mother's memories flooded into her mind's eye, and she started floating aimlessly as she allowed the images to play in her head. Everything she saw was from Ur's perspective. Ultear quickly deduced that her mother, who had transformed into Ice Shell to stop Deliora, had melted into the sea when Lyon's efforts on Galuna Island 'freed' the Demon. Ur was all around her, and she couldn't really complain about it…

 _"My baby! What did you monsters do to her?! She's dead! How did this happen?!"_

 _"There's nothing more for me to say…" Brain told her solemnly._

 _"I was told that your agency specializes in cases like hers… The only reason I brought her here is because I thought you could cure her… And she's dead?!"_

 _"We offer our sincere condolences…" A man with a veil over his face waved his arm apologetically. "We tried everything we could, but her power was simply too strong."_

 _"It proved even too much for us to handle." A woman with a veil over her face added solemnly. Brain turned to trek deeper into the facility._

 _"It would be best for you not to see her remains…"_

 _"That's all you have to say?!" Ur sobbed. "No, wait! Please give my daughter back to me! No! She can't be gone! She_ can't _!"_

Ultear had gained control of her floating as the memory came to an end, but what didn't change was that she was still overwhelmed by the emotions that the memories brought her.

 _'It's different… Her memory is so different from mine…'_ Ultear thought to herself, saddened. She was snapped out of her thoughts as Gray charged up one more attack.

"ICE MAKE: GUNGNIR!" He screamed mentally, and the huge ice sculpture shaped like a spear surged forward to encase Ultear and sped her to the surface, eliciting a scream of pain from Ultear. As the spear protruded from the ocean's surface, Ultear had shifted so that it looked as if the spear had impaled her entire body, only her head and appendages sticking out of the ice. Her face slacked in amazement of Gray's power.

Gray bobbed to the surface as well, and looked at her seriously.

"Ur told us about you, but the memories were way too painful for her. " For Ultear's sake, he recalled Ur's words, revealing that Ur believed that when Ultear was born, her tiny body was packed with limitless possibilities.

And that ultimately delivered the final blow to Ultear, emotionally. Gungnir shattered, and Ultear limply fell into the water once more, the fight taken out of her.

 _'All I wanted was to bring about the Grand Magic World… so that I could go back to a time before I hated my mother. All I wanted… was to see my mother again, and to tell her I loved her one last time…'_

A short while later, Gray and Ultear swam back to shore together and dried off. The Arc of Time mage offered a bittersweet smile at her former foe.

"My fight's over. I couldn't go searching for Zeref again even if I wanted to. Both you and Natsu made sure of that." She sighed morosely at the thought of the pink-head. She'd deeply wounded him and his wife because of her selfish pursuit of a false dream. And the knucklehead had tried befriending her without realizing that fact…

"Che. That Pyro, eh?" Gray snorted in amusement as he rolled his eyes. "You can come out, you guys!"

Ultear tensed as Natsu hopped down from a higher part of the cliff-face. Sho and Happy were still at the top, looking down nervously. Natsu's face was grim, but it didn't have that intense fury that it had before.

"Feelin' better now?" The rose-haired mage asked her dead seriously as he maintained eye contact. Ultear blinked in confusion as she felt the slightest amount of fear.

"I don't understand… Wh-What are you doing here, and why…?" She trailed off as she couldn't find the right words to explain it, but she essentially wanted to know where all that anger had gone. It wasn't natural…

"The Pyro showed up at some point during our fight, probably when I got distracted by that pink thing on my wrist." Gray smirked at Ultear's dumbfounded expression. "He didn't butt in, 'cause he knew I'd kick his ass for it."

Natsu grunted while struggling _not_ to pout.

"Says you, Ice Princess." At Ultear's inquisitive gaze, he sighed and turned serious again. "Look. We're gonna need to clean the air when this is all finished; but the gist of it is I'm still mad at what you did to Erza, Simon, and all those innocents. I'm mad, but it's not like I can refuse you a second chance. After all, you're not totally at fault for the Tower of Heaven…"

Ultear was flabbergasted at his reasoning.

"B-But my Possession Magic…"

"… didn't make him a mindless puppet." Natsu deadpanned. He shook his head firmly. "Jellal was still his own man; a guy messed up in the head, but still a man capable of making his own decisions. You gotta atone for making him that way, not to mention all the other crap you pulled while working with Grimoire Heart, but _you_ weren't the main orchestrator behind the Tower of Heaven like you said you were. _That's_ what made me angry – you taking the credit for that unforgivable place and lying with a straight face that you didn't feel any remorse over it."

"Natsu…" Ultear trailed off with a look of disbelief still clear in her eyes. _How_ could this man have such a big heart? Anyone else in his shoes would have just killed her and been done with it, but… Not him.

Gray tilted his head as he stared at the two of them strangely.

"It's so weird you two know each other while it takes a friggin' invasion for me to get an introduction."

Natsu just waved him off snidely.

"Your fault for not joining us on the 'Ultear jobs'." He smirked as a tick mark appeared on Gray's head.

"Oh, you are not blaming that on me! Erza wouldn't even let me come 'cause they asked for 'you' specifically! She just went along to keep a keen eye or whatever." The Ice Make mage grumbled. He then eyed Ultear curiously. "… What was up with that constant flirting, anyway? I only heard about it, but apparently you really riled Erza up…"

Despite the conversation taking a surreal turn – no, really, how the hell were they buddy-buddy already? – Ultear still mustered a smirk herself.

"I'm afraid that's between me and the Dragneels. I will say it started as a game, but it quickly became something more…" Ultear gave Natsu a faux-predatory glare and licked her lips seductively, which got the desired reaction of Natsu blushing like a tomato and standing rigidly.

 _'Erza's gonna kill me!'_ Natsu wailed internally. He wildly shook his head, knowing he failed miserably at keeping his composure. Ultear was way too good at this game…

"ANYWAY!" He abruptly decided to steer the conversation back on track. Ultear's pout made him shiver one more time before he really 'moved on' both externally and internally. "What are you gonna do now?"

He asked Ultear with a serious gaze. She sobered up and considered his question.

"You two still have a fight on your hands with Hades. I'm certainly in no shape to be fighting anyone of his caliber, let alone any of the Kin that might still be out there."

"Well, we beat the tub of lard you lobbed our way…" Natsu muttered sourly, to which she sweatdropped as Happy waved the card he was still trapped in from their point at the top of the cliff.

"And Mira and I beat that Azuma guy." Gray muttered as he crossed his arms. "That makes three of the Seven Kin beaten for sure, 'cause Mira hauled that guy off to the Council warships 'conveniently' there…"

Natsu blinked as Gray brought that up even as his rival glared suspiciously at Ultear.

"Council war…?" His mouth became a thin line as he, too, glared suspiciously at Ultear, who didn't look the least bit innocent or apologetic. "Ultear…"

"Hey, I was doing you lot a favor. If for whatever reason Zeref escaped my grasp or Grimoire Heart actually got their hands on him, the Council could have used Etherion to blow them sky high before it was too late."

"And took all of us with the island as well as you…" Gray felt obligated to point out. Natsu simply muttered under his breath.

"We are going to have a _long_ talk after this is over…" Shaking his head, he grunted. "Why don't you head there, too, and try 'n get 'em off our backs? … What?"

He received incredulous stares from both Gray and Ultear. Gray's was more exaggerated and mocking.

"Either you're not our Flamebrain or you're trying too hard. That weirdly sounded like a decent idea." Gray muttered. Ultear pinched the bridge of her nose at his antics… They really didn't have time for this.

"Reckless reputations aside, I think it's decent, too, but I've been missing in action for a week. Lahar might question my presence."

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the mention of ol' Four-Eyes.

"The guy that took Oracion Seis away? Ugh."

Gray ignored the Pyro this time and turned his gaze to Ultear.

"A partial truth can't hurt. Just tell 'im you've been personally looking into Grimoire Heart."

Ultear shook her head.

"It's why they're here in the first place. Grimoire Heart knowing where Tenrou was located when they didn't was highly suspicious; they thought the two Guilds were possibly connected. Moreover, I haven't been following 'protocol' at all for an intelligence mission of this caliber. Lahar will have a field day with that."

"Then bring fatty along with ya! They'll love that!" Natsu waved for Happy to bring down Kain's card, and he and Sho timidly floated down thanks to the Exceed.

"You might be able to help them repair their ships, too. Azuma roughed 'em up pretty bad." Gray supplied. Seeing that they were pretty adamant about giving her a way to be 'useful', she sighed and grudgingly accepted the card holding Kain.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do…" Struggling to get up, she was surprised when Natsu offered her a hand up. … Knucklehead. She wouldn't be able to tease him or Erza very much for a while after this. "One more thing… There's a pink-haired girl named Meredy among the Seven Kin… If possible, could you keep her safe? I have adopted her in all but name, and she shouldn't have to be manhandled like the others… Just tell her that I sent you, and she probably won't attack… Well. At least not Natsu."

At Ultear's 'correction' at the end there, Gray could only sweatdrop.

"Great… she wants to kill me for your sake." He grumbled before acquiescing. "Sure. You can count on us."

As they were about to set out and take their separate ways, there was a deafening sound that rent the air and heralded some unknown disaster.

"… What was that?" Natsu asked warily as he eyed Ultear, who was gnashing her teeth and looking in the general direction the sound came from.

"That… was Hades done playing around." Ultear huffed out. "He's sent in Bluenote Stinger to 'finish the job', so now you have a battle on two fronts. Good luck."

Gray, Natsu, Sho, and Happy shared looks of confusion as the name 'Bluenote' didn't ring any bells. But if Ultear said he was bad news, then they'd better go help out the others…

* * *

"Is there no one among you that can fly?!" Bluenote bellowed as he unleashed his Gravity Magic to pin everyone at the Fairy Tail base camp to the ground. Freed and Bickslow, Mest and Wendy, Levy and Lucy, Simon and Wally, and even Gajeel who had just arrived to ask for Wendy's help with Makarov… None of them could stand up in this oppressive atmosphere. This man's power was just too great – although it was interesting to note that Mest appeared the most unsettled out of everyone present, as if he knew just who they were facing.

Rusty Rose simply shook his head as he watched the tragic scene from a distance. This is exactly what he feared. He wouldn't be able to enjoy dining on Fairies while his 'superior' gorged on them. The man had no concept of elegance or poetry…

And then he appeared. A terrifying man that – dare he imagine it? – _rivaled_ the Ace of Grimoire Heart. The man flew in from out of nowhere and smashed his fist into Bluenote's face, sending him crashing into a tree harshly. This roguish-looking man had ginger hair and wore a tattered cloak, along with bandages wrapped all over his body underneath. He called out to his comrades.

"Deal with Specs!" Gildarts nudged his head toward the still dumbfounded Rusty Rose while intercepting Bluenote's incoming fist with one of his own. The former Trialgoers were galvanized into action at their Ace's timely appearance. Most of them went to attack Rusty, but Gajeel, Wendy, and Mest disappeared with his Teleportation to go and check on Makarov. That still left Freed, Bickslow, Levy, Lucy, Simon, and Wally to battle the only remaining member of the Kin left standing.

The silver-haired man quickly recovered, however, and sent forth his Sacred Guardian Beast, Belfast the Hurricane to battle on his behalf. But Bickslow made short work of the beast with his Human Possession Magic, and it shattered into a million pieces.

"A futile effort! Numbers matter not in the face of my Arc of Embodiment, which is a bottomless well of power!" He conjured a shield to block Wally's shot, and Pegasus wings appeared on his feet so as to avoid Freed's follow-up blast.

"Let's try this! Get 'em, Taurus!" Lucy called out as she summoned the Zodiac Spirit.

"MOOOOOO!" The Bull Spirit gave out a war cry as it clashed with Rusty's shield. Bickslow smirked as the two combatants stood there with either one unmoving.

"That's it! Hold him there, Taurus! Get 'im, babies!" He sent out his wooden dolls to go around Rusty's shield and strike at him from behind and the sides. With the Dark Mage airborne, Freed wrote runes onto himself to initiate Dark Ecriture: Absolute Shadow, which gave him a dark suit of armor and helmet that amplified his abilities. He surged forward and slashed with his sword, sending Rusty flying in Simon's direction. Simon used his Dark Moment just as the silver-haired mage was in close proximity, and then used Dark Burst to heavily damage him and send him sprawling on the ground in agony.

Thinking he would be down for the count from that, Wally held his gun to Rusty's head when he raised it to glare at his foes. Power welled up within the Dark Mage as he called forth his best chance to slay these Fairies.

"Tower of…!"

"Nice try!" Wally adjusted his aim so that his shot hit Rusty square in the back before the resulting explosion sent him and the other Fairy Tail mages skidding back from the blast. When the dust settled, Rusty was moaning and very much unconscious. The sharpshooter tipped his hat and grinned cockily. "Dandy!"

They all shared victorious smiles before witnessing the tail end of Gildarts' fight with Bluenote. The Ace of Grimoire Heart was trying to conjure some Black Hole attack that would supposedly swallow up everything, but Gildarts' Crash Magic made the whole thing shatter before the Crash mage delivered a swift uppercut and sent him far away with Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth: Empyrean.

On that triumphant note… Fairy Tail had thwarted Grimoire Heart's assault on the base camp. There couldn't be many of Grimoire Heart's forces left – they had them on the ropes now. Time to bring it home.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Haaah~… Rusty and Bluenote's battle was a tad more lackluster than I meant it to be, but reflecting on it… Gildarts did prove to be stronger than Bluenote. And in this scenario, Rusty was against overwhelming odds since Azuma had already been taken down (and for those wondering about Gajeel going with Wendy and Mest, well… someone had to show 'em where Makarov was, and they trusted in the others to handle Bluenote and Rusty since Gildarts showed up). I was a bit put out that I didn't involve Lisanna more, too, but in fairness… that fight was really about Juvia getting through to Meredy.**

 **… I think you all know where I put the most effort into. Ha~. ^_^ So. Next time everyone regroups, and the battle-ready go to fight Master Hades. Depending on how that fight pans out with all the changes in this timeline thus far, we** _ **might**_ **get the epilogue for the Tenrou Arc. We're clooose… Acnologia is coming. :D**

 **Hope you enjoyed this a bit.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Point-in-Time: December X784**

* * *

"Hey. Get up."

Elfman groaned as he felt a foot nudge his ribs. He blearily opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Laxus with some guy slung over his shoulder.

"Laxus… what…?" Elfman sat straight up as the last thing he remembered came to him. "Where's Evergreen?! I gotta… ouch."

The Takeover mage clutched his side as there was suddenly a sharp pain. The Lightning Dragon Slayer tsk'ed and turned to the side slightly.

"Ever told me what happened. Said you went up against one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. … All things considered, you didn't do too bad. These guys had the balls to invade this place, so they must've had some strong players to back up their arrogance." He watched out of the corner of his eye as Elfman looked in the direction he was facing and saw Evergreen sitting there, appearing downtrodden. At one point he might've gotten on Elfman's case about being 'too weak', but he'd changed since those days, and this enemy wasn't particularly one to be underestimated. "… C'mon. Let's go."

The blond started to walk away, but Elfman spoke up quizzically.

"Go where…?"

"Back to base camp. There was this massive spike in Magical Energy not too long ago; we should make sure everyone's alright." The blond replied calmly, not wavering in his footsteps. Elfman and Evergreen shared a look before getting up to follow him.

* * *

It'd taken Lisanna a while, but she got both Juvia and Meredy out of that swamp-like area and back onto dry ground. She used her Takeover Magic to transform into a giant rabbit and carry the two of them in her arms as she hopped as far and as fast as she could. The silver-haired teen was surprised when she heard the familiar sound of flapping wings and looked up to see Mira flying overhead.

"Mira!" Lisanna called out in relief, and the eldest Strauss Sibling looked down to see her sister and her partner, along with a pinkette.

"Lisanna!" Mira called back and descended down to her, releasing her Satan Soul for the time being in order to give her Magic a bit of rest. After they exchanged an embrace, Lisanna explained the situation as they looked at the two unconscious girls.

"… They fought with all they had, but Juvia talked her down from her revenge. I think we should take her back to camp and let her rest with us; she shouldn't have to be treated like the rest of the Kin."

Mira chewed her lower lip as she thought it over. They would _technically_ be harboring a criminal if they did that… The Council's Police Force was here, and they would doubtless be checking thoroughly for anyone related to Grimoire Heart. But… Lisanna's intuition about these things was usually spot-on. They didn't have the whole story on this girl; Juvia apparently did, though, and if she tried to comfort the enemy while in the midst of battle, then there had to be more to her than her Guild affiliation. Handing her off to Lahar seemed… wrong.

"… Alright, Lisanna." Mira replied with her eyes closed. She then reopened them and smiled at her Sis. "Let's get these two back to camp, then. We still have to fight off the rest of her old pals!"

Lisanna beamed and nodded back at her. Great! Juvia would be relieved when she woke up. Lisanna just hoped that Natsu and the others were holding up just as well.

* * *

"I told you he couldn't be trusted!" Panther Lily pointed accusingly at the man in question, and Gajeel got a tick mark on his head as he stomped over to Mest.

"What's yer problem, anyway?! We've all been fighting off Grimoire Heart, so how could we be in cahoots with them?!" That's right, Mest had finally got around to revealing he was a member of the Magic Council. He was kind of pressured into it when Panther Lily and Gajeel grilled him while Wendy and Carla hovered over their Master's side and healed him.

Mest sighed exasperatedly.

"I know that!" He huffed at their vehement glares. "… Well, I do _now_ , anyway. I didn't even know that Grimoire Heart had a ringer like Bluenote Stinger waiting in the wings! Guild conflicts are forbidden, but in this case you were all justified in defending yourselves. _I was wrong_. There, happy?"

"Yes." Lily replied flatly, but Gajeel growled and raised his fist challengingly.

"Hell no! You Council lowlifes crossed the line on this one! Yeah, we're not your biggest fans, but we don't go _that_ far to give you the friggin' middle finger! We take down Dark Guilds, not get buddy-buddy with 'em!"

"I _know_ ," Mest groaned out exasperatedly, massaging his temple. "Look, I'll give the Council a good report later about your Guild, but right now we need to deal with Grimoire Heart! I need to go check in with Lahar so that he doesn't order Etherion to be fired on this place. I imagine with all the activity, he's itching to contact the Magic Council."

With this said, he teleported out of there without asking permission. They made their distrust of him clear, and frankly he deserved it, but right now he really did want to ensure their safety. After all, if Gildarts Clive could go toe-to-toe with a man like Bluenote, then they had more than a chance of matching whoever Grimoire Heart's Master was. They could finally capture the leaders of the Balam Alliance.

While the double agent was thinking along these lines, his abrupt departure did alarm Gajeel, Panther Lily, Carla, and even Wendy, who was busy healing Makarov.

"Don't worry yourselves over him…" Makarov told his children as kindly as possible. "He may be with the Magic Council, but right now I will put my trust in him… Butting heads with them will only get us in deeper trouble than this invasion."

"So, what? We're just supposed to let 'em leave after this is finished?" Gajeel snorted contemptuously.

"Of course not!" Makarov denied with a grin. "… We're going to give them another member of the Balam Alliance. Maybe we'll get an airship out of it, too. After all, Precht _was_ our Second Master. Hehe."

Wendy, Carla, and Lily sweatdropped at their Master's mischievous schemes. Gajeel smirked at his brilliance. Who cared if they even really needed it? When something that nice falls into your lap, you take it. … That might or might not have been Phantom Lord Philosophy. Oh well. Gajeel didn't give a damn – Makarov was in support of the idea. That's all the approval he needed.

"I still can't believe Fairy Tail's Second Master is in charge of Grimoire Heart… How could he become so evil?" Wendy asked, truly at a loss. Carla crossed her arms disapprovingly.

"Betraying everything you and Master Mavis believed… He does not deserve our sympathy."

Makarov chuckled somewhat bitterly at their understandable frustration.

"My dears… You both have much more to experience in this world. If you're not careful, it can warp and change you… Rest assured, I will be talking with him when this is finished. I, too, wish to understand what happened."

That said, Gajeel cracked his knuckles and looked off in the general direction of the airship.

"I'm thinkin' it's about time we took the fight to them. We gotta have beaten most of 'em back by now; none of the S-Classers were close the camp 'cept for Gildarts, and there were a few teams missing as well."

"Just wait until we regroup, my boy… You'll have your chance soon enough." Makarov told the Iron Dragon Slayer solemnly. Doubtless, Natsu would be feeling the same.

It was a shame he wouldn't be in fighting shape to confront Precht again… But he would entrust this battle to his children. They had never let him down.

* * *

When everyone made it back to camp, two teams were devised. One to defend the camp from any lingering invaders as well as protect the wounded, and the other to go and attack Hades. With Laxus and Simon's help, they managed to get Zancrow and Rusty Rose to the Council's now-restored warships, so they would no longer be issues to deal with. Moreover, it seemed Ultear and Mest had prevented Lahar from acting rashly. Whether or not he would look into Ultear's presence remained to be seen, however.

The team to attack Hades was spearheaded by Natsu, and consisted of Laxus, Mirajane, Gray, Gajeel, Wendy, and Lucy. Everyone else was either too wounded or not confident enough to go into a battle with a man that had defeated Makarov. … Except for Gildarts, Freed, and Bickslow, that is. Those three were fighting fit, but felt it was best to stay back and protect everyone.

So it was that the team of seven humans and three Exceeds set out. Hades had walked out to the deck of the airship before they arrived to look out at Tenrou.

"I never would have imagined that the Seven Kin _and_ Bluenote could be bested at the hands of Fairy Tail…" The man mused to himself as he crossed his arms. "In the end, I suppose that Makarov is a better Guild Master than even I had anticipated. Well, no matter. Since my team was too inept to exterminate their prey, I shall just have to do it for them. Playtime for the Devils and Fairies is now over – from here on out, it's all business. But that doesn't mean… I won't take pleasure in making them suffer!"

As he observed the mages from Fairy Tail run up to the base of the airship with a cool gaze, he smirked at the determination etched on their faces.

"So you wish for the same treatment I gave your Master? Come face your destruction, Children of Makarov." With that declaration, the Dark Mage turned on his heel sharply and his cloak arrogantly flapped behind him as he walked back into the ship.

Natsu growled at the man's 'cowardice'.

"Hey, old fart! Give us a way up there!" He stomped his foot impatiently.

"We owe him one for Gramps!" Gray chipped in.

"He'll answer for it soon enough…" Mira vowed.

Wendy turned to look up at Lucy.

"So if we can defeat that man in time, we can hand him over to the Rune Knights, and the Council won't have to fire on us?"

"Yeah, that's the plan…" The blonde answered with conviction. Normally she wouldn't throw herself into a fight of this level, but she really needed to get payback for Capricorn's sake.

Laxus and Gajeel were solemnly silent, save for the actions of stretching their neck and cracking their knuckles respectively.

"Happy, I got a job for ya!" Natsu abruptly spoke up again as all three Exceeds turned to him. "I need you to find whatever makes this thing fly and take it out of commission."

"I guess it'd be a major problem if it started moving! At least for you." The blue Exceed grinned. Natsu scratched his cheek sheepishly, but Gajeel looked strangely relieved as well.

"We shall help him." Carla promised the Dragon Slayer. Lily was nervously covering his head now that thunder was booming overhead.

"Y-You can count on us. U-Uh… C-Can we go in, now?"

"Good plan! But I'll cast my Troia Spell just in case!" The bluenette beamed at her big brother as she did just that. Gajeel and Laxus looked like they wanted to say something just then, but both of them kept their traps shut. No way were they gonna assassinate their own reputations.

Gray suddenly started up his Ice Make Magic.

"I think we've kept him waiting long enough! Let's go!" He created a path of icy stairs that would take them to the deck of the ship. Mira and Laxus had their own ways of getting up there on their own power, so the silver-haired woman used her Satan Soul to fly up there and Laxus used his Lightning Body to do so. Everyone else ran up the way that Gray created for them.

"Let's get in there and break stuff!" Happy gleefully yelled as the three Exceeds ran up the stairs last. Lily was still very much scared of the weather.

"L-Let's get in there as quickly as possible!"

"Remember, his power surpasses our own Master's, so once we get inside hit him hard and hit him fast!" Mira warned everyone as she hovered over the top of the deck. Laxus didn't stop to wait for everyone else; he rushed straight in with the intent of taking down the bastard that had beaten his Grandfather.

"Yeah, okay!" Wendy replied as she ran.

"Payback time." Was all Gajeel had to say.

"Don't worry, I'm not stoppin' until he's beggin' for mercy!" Gray vowed.

"After everything he's done, he doesn't deserve any mercy!" Lucy declared boldly.

"Oh yeah, we're puttin' him down! Ready or not, Hades, here we come!" Natsu roared as he reached the top and coated his right arm in intense flames. "I've got a message from Makarov… CHOKE ON IT!"

He blasted a stream of fire at Hades, who had bounced back from Laxus's initial assault.

"You'll have to do better than that! Try again!" The Guild Master bellowed as he simply held out one hand to deflect the blast from hitting his body. However, as the fire went around him, Hades noticed the next two combatants stepping up to face him.

"Cold Excalibur!" Gray called out as he created a giant blade made of ice, before rushing his enemy and powerfully slashing at him. When that seemed to have no effect, Mira charged up dark energy between her hands and made a big orb above her head. That orb soon released a violent blast that overtook Hades and caught him up in a devastating explosion.

"Soul Extinctor!" Mira declared the name of her attack, but had to narrow her eyes when Hades endured even that. Gajeel was next as he rushed in with Iron Dragon's Scales covering his body and started pummeling the old man left and right – though eventually Hades caught an incoming fist and cast him aside as if he were a nuisance.

Lucy summoned Taurus to keep the man briefly occupied while Wendy cast one of her Enchantments on Mira and Gray.

"By the grace of the wind, may you strike fiercely, move swiftly, and be free of all harm! Arms and Armor! Vernier! Now, go!" Wendy declared as their offensive, defensive, and speed capabilities were enhanced. They charged him relentlessly, but Hades proved capable of dodging both their coordinated melee attacks as if they weren't enhanced at all. When Mira got behind him despite his efforts to keep facing them, he smirked as she nearly struck him.

"Nimble scamp, aren't you?!" He whirled around and used his Chain Magic to catch Mira before yanking the chain around and slamming her into Gray.

Well, Laxus was fed up with not getting any attacks in for a while. So he raised his fist in the air and called down his next attack.

"Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder, plunge from the heavens and reap destruction! RAGING BOLT!" And as he declared this, lightning crackled around his raised arm and a sphere of Magic appeared over Hades before a large bolt of lightning descended down on him and generated a massive explosion.

Natsu didn't wait to see if that put the geezer down; he unleashed a powerful Fire Dragon's Roar that not only cleared the dust cloud from the air but sent the Dark Mage sliding back on his feet. When that attack subsided, he used his Chain Magic again to ensnare Natsu this time and swung him about to strike his friends, but Mira severed the chain while Gray conjured an ice formation to catch Natsu in midair – which the Dragon Slayer bounced off of to attack Hades with renewed vigor.

"Get in there!" Gray yelled.

"On it!" Natsu called back.

"Sky Dragon's ROAR!" Wendy bellowed as she unleashed a tornado of air that surrounded Natsu as he flew toward Hades, and Lucy added onto her attack when she summoned Scorpio and had him combine his sand with Wendy's attack to make a drill-like attack.

"A Unison Raid?!" Hades marveled at the destructive combination. He was unable to dodge due to Gajeel and Laxus both appearing behind him and striking him forward to hit Natsu head-on.

"Fire Dragon's… SWORD HORN!" Natsu declared as he struck Hades with the added momentum and sent him violently flying back into the far wall and kick up another big dust cloud. All the Fairy Tail mages watched with baited breath to see if that did _anything_ … But…

"I've often heard young people refer to their mistakes as 'life experience'…" Hades mused as the dust settled and revealed him to have lost his cloak, but otherwise he did not look seriously harmed. He flexed his hand to stretch it. "But true mistakes do not yield experience, as there is no coming back from them. Such is the case here! Your future consists only of the grave. There will be no lesson to learn other than that opposing me was the biggest mistake of your lives!"

The Dark Mage finished this declaration as he crossed his arms and stared the seven of them down gravely.

"Oh no…" Wendy gasped as she brought a hand over her mouth. Lucy reeled back in shock.

"All that, and he wasn't even scratched?!"

Mira said nothing, though she had to admit this was by far the most powerful enemy they had faced yet…

"Come on! We poured everything we had into that!" Gray exclaimed in disbelief. Gajeel just growled, and Laxus glowered at the man.

"Tch."

"His Magic Power is unreal… What is it going to take?" Natsu wasn't scared here, but it was going to take some serious firepower. And a whole lot of luck. This guy wasn't just durable – he was fast. Strong. And he hadn't even unleashed any Magic-based attacks save for those chains. Natsu had a feeling things were going to get much worse when he started flinging those around…

"Very well. Now that I'm all warmed up, it's time to get serious!" Hades declared just as tremors shook the whole airship from the Magic Power he was purposely giving off.

"Get ready!" Mira warned everyone, and the man merely screamed, looking straight at Wendy as he did so. A moment later, Wendy evaporated into a glimmer of light and her clothes fell to the ground.

"WENDY! NO!" Natsu roared as he looked on, horrified. Mira, Gray, Laxus, Gajeel, and Lucy were unable to say anything as the implications of what Hades just did began to set in. Wendy was… gone.

"Believe me when I tell you that was a mercy kill." Hades remarked with a steel edge to his voice. "She got off easy. From this point forward, each of your deaths will be more gruesome than the one before."

"No, Wendy…" Lucy whispered in horror.

"What did you do to her?" Gray demanded.

"This can't be happening…" Natsu insisted as he shook with rage. But then a new voice caught all of their attention.

"'It's okay, everyone! I'm fine! I'm up here!' … she exclaims with relief." Horologium reported as he was stuck to the ceiling with his back facing all of them.

"It's Horologium!" Lucy realized that the Celestial Spirit had saved the bluenette's life.

"Nice, old-timer!" Gray smirked, and Natsu sighed with relief.

"My automatic Danger Detection Mode was activated just in time." Horologium declared with some pride in his tone. Lucy rolled her eyes.

" _Really_?" Lucy deadpanned as thought back to the few times she was 'endangered' in the last day or so. Gajeel and Panther Lily beating her and Levy. Those goons in cloaks invading the base camp. Bluenote pinning her down with his Magic… "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think your Danger Detection thingy needs an _overhaul_."

Horologium sniffed haughtily.

"My apologies, but while you _have_ had trouble in the past, your life was never at risk! 'Thanks so much, Horologium! That was a close call!' she says graciously." Horologium reported what Wendy was saying again.

"I guess timing is his thing." Gray mused. And Natsu looked down at the clothes Wendy left behind.

"So, uh… why didn't Wendy's clothes go with her?"

"As it was an emergency, I only had time to protect her physical body." Horologium revealed, and Gray did a double-take at the Celestial Spirit.

"Just her body?! Hold up! You're saying that inside there, she's…" Gray trailed off in disbelief.

"'AAAH!' she screams in embarrassment. I will provide new clothing for her." Horologium promised.

"We're just glad she's alright. Thank you for your help." Mira told the Celestial Spirit gratefully.

"Sadly, this will be the only time I will be able to offer my protection. Please take extra care, everyone! Good luck!" Horologium wished them well and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, and Wendy dropped back down in a new set of clothes.

"So, this is Makarov's Fairy Tail…" Hades mused as he watched the whole thing in snide amusement. "Hmph. Well, you're certainly entertaining."

"Oh yeah… Gramps said you were his predecessor." Natsu frowned as he recalled Makarov debriefing them before they left. Hearing this guy passed the torch onto Gramps even though he returned decades later to destroy Fairy Tail… it pissed Natsu off.

"How curious that he told you anything about me. Though I suppose in light of this clash, he would want to tell you everything he could to aid you in your battle. Have my records been expunged from the Guild's library? I imagine that would be the case." Tugging at his beard, Hades smirked. "I suppose if Makarov is 'Gramps', that makes me Great Grandfather. I was Fairy Tail's Second Master, and was known as Precht back then."

"Che. The day we call you 'Great Gramps' is the day we roll over." Laxus sneered. "Maybe you were something back then, but you did turn your back on Fairy Tail… The moment that happened, you lost your privilege to call yourself our 'Master' – past, present, or future."

Hades snorted in amusement at the blond's uppity tone.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation, _boy_ … but I defeated your 'Master'. It does not matter if you made it this far, defeating _my_ underlings; this is the end of the road for all of you. I think after I bury you here, I will return to Magnolia and absorb what is left of your pitiful Guild into Grimoire Heart. After all the losses you have dealt me, it is only fair you pay the price."

Natsu bared his fangs at the Dark Mage's declaration. Like _hell_ Erza, Kagura, and everyone would join this bastard! They'd fight until their last breath! And it _especially_ didn't sit well with Natsu when he thought of Erza being murdered by Hades, not to mention the child she carried within her… This would not come to pass.

"Hey, Natsu. Mira. Gray." Each of the aforementioned mages turned to Laxus when he spoke their names. The blond was smirking as lightning crackled all over his body. "Let's give this old geezer a tour of our S-Class ranks. I think we're just about warmed up, too."

"Heh." Gray grinned cockily and radiated his Ice Make Magic. Oh yeah. Battling Azuma and Ultear had roughed him up, but he still had energy to spare. Across from him, Mira was similarly radiating a dark aura with an evil grin. Considering she'd only fought Azuma… she must've been quite rested up and ready to go.

"I'm all fired up now!" Natsu had a raging fire surrounding him, as well as lightning crackling around him like Laxus.

"HEY! I'm not gonna sit back while you get yer two pounds of flesh!" Gajeel raged. "I'm gonna be the next S-Classer!"

"In that case, try and keep up." Mira challenged with a flap of her wings. Lucy watched on nervously and decided to pull back for the time being, as Hades was also manifesting quite the imposing aura. Wendy wanted to help, but she stayed back with Lucy for the time being so that the five of them could really cut loose.

* * *

Ultear breathed a sigh of relief as Mest – or rather, Doranbolt – wrapped up wiping the memories of the Kin that they had captured. She was unable to lie to the double agent when he pulled her aside for a private chat. To Lahar, she was just a Councilwoman overstepping her bounds somewhat – a minor offense, really. But to Doranbolt… well. Ultear wasn't too sure what was going through his head when he proposed wiping the memories of her former comrades of her involvement in Grimoire Heart. Here she'd been expecting a life sentence for all the atrocities she'd committed, and he was helping to cover her tracks…

"Why are you doing this?" Ultear couldn't help but burst out after they went back to his quarters on the ship.

When he was sure no one was listening in, Doranbolt looked at her gravely.

"You're absolutely right that you need to atone for everything you've done. But you and that girl… Meredy…" He nodded as her eyes widened at the girl being brought up. He then shook his head before composing his thoughts. "You _should_ go to prison like the others… You should. You weren't possessed like that Celestial Spirit, and you in particular slaughtered many without mercy. But you and that girl have the opportunity for a more… _constructive_ rehabilitation. The four we slapped with Magic-draining cuffs? They have no future. But that girl, Meredy. As far as I know, you protected her; made sure she didn't commit crimes I would _have_ to arrest her for. Frankly, I was surprised to see someone as young as her involved with a Guild like Grimoire Heart.

Ultear felt a budding warmth in her chest that Meredy had kept out of trouble while she was away on that long-term infiltration assignment. It appeared that her caution had paid off, and the pinkette could do as she pleased. Yet Doranbolt wasn't done…

"And you. The Councilwoman that stopped Etherion from being fired not once, but _twice_ now with this latest mess…" He held up her hand as she opened her mouth. "I'm well aware that the first time you were in full control and _could_ have fired it… But the fact remains that you didn't. Whatever the reason, you saved countless lives with that one decision, and you did so again by persuading Lahar not to fire on this place. It's far from making up for everything that's happened, but it demonstrates the potential good you could do and your willingness to do so. I think that's reason enough to help 'cover up' your old affiliations."

Ultear was still as lost as ever.

"You… have something else in mind, then…?" She warily asked. His grin did not assuage her fears.

"Join Fairy Tail." At her disbelieving gaze, he spread out his arms. "I'm serious. That Guild is rough around the edges, and they mix with the Council about as well as oil with water, but I was wrong about them. They've helped immensely to dismantle the Balam Alliance, and Ishgar is that much safer because of their efforts. With what knowledge you can provide us, I'm sure we'll take down Tartaros someday soon. Joining Fairy Tail will settle any doubts about your disappearance, and it will give you the chance to help as many people as you can. Fighting Dark Guilds would just be a bonus, really."

Ultear looked down as Doranbolt wrapped up his proposal. It sounded… reasonable… and quite possibly what she would have Meredy do after this was settled. But as for herself…?

"… I can't. As much as I would like to, I can't." She shook her head as Doranbolt opened his mouth again. "It has nothing to do with any of the atrocities I've committed in the past… though I do feel overwhelmingly guilty about them. It's not even the fact that I've hurt the Dragneels so deeply. It's… Zeref. I don't know how 'awake' he is, but I did find him before Natsu confronted me. He isn't dead like everyone believes him to be, and he provides a much clearer threat than all of the Dark Guilds of the Balam Alliance combined. The fact I wished to use his terrifying power for my own ends makes me… irredeemable. I deserve to be locked up like the rest. No… not even that. I deserve execution."

Doranbolt staggered back at the revelation. When he and the others at the base camp heard from Simon and Wally about Grimoire Heart's objectives, he'd written off the objective to 'locate Zeref' as a madman's ravings. Their opponent _had_ been crazy enough to fuse with a Celestial Spirit, after all. But to hear the same from Ultear…

"Are you sure? He can't be alive after four hundred years… He _can't_!" The double agent insisted, but in the next moment, he and Ultear were shocked by the sudden appearance of the young man that Ultear had located earlier. He was standing in a dark corner of the room, and looking at the pair of them disinterestedly.

"I'm afraid this isn't a case of mistaken identity, Doranbolt. I am the Black Wizard, Zeref." He shook his head at how tense the two of them were; they looked ready to fight for their lives. If only they knew what terrible power he wielded…

"What are you doing here? How did you get on this ship?" Doranbolt demanded of the man, but all he did was calmly step more into the candle light of the room.

"I had originally come to kill this woman and your prisoners for coming here and wreaking so much destruction. They had made me _very_ angry… Tell me." He squared Ultear with a dark glare. "In your speech that you gave to Natsu… You mentioned 'Keys' that served the purpose of 'awakening' me. Does it _look_ like I have been dead or in a comatose state? Who, exactly, told all of you that these Keys were required? Just what did you do to acquire them? Did you count the lives that you ended prematurely? The widows you made, the children who will never grow up? Every one was a meaningless loss.

Ultear could say nothing in the face of Zeref's burning accusations. Everything she had learned about the Dark Arts, she had picked up from Master Hades, but just where did he come across _his_ information? She never bothered to question the legitimacy of the rituals. All Ultear could think of was the ends… the Grand Magic World. Reuniting with her mother. All the more reason to die at his hand here.

Doranbolt stood rigidly next to Ultear as Zeref carried on. The pressure in this room had grown to staggering heights; he found himself unable to move at all, and by the looks of it, Ultear was experiencing the same phenomenon. If Zeref decided to carry out on his 'original plan', he would be unable to save Ultear. He hoped to Kami the Black Wizard had changed his mind while eavesdropping on their conversation.

And just like a storm passing by, Zeref dropped whatever intense aura he had been using to keep them restrained.

"… I am still _very_ angry. Even if you were misled by your superiors, you still chose to heed their commands and desensitized yourself to the misery you left in your wake. Death should be your only reward." Zeref coldly told Ultear as he did not let up on his glare. He turned to the side and eyed the candle disinterestedly. "Alas, I have resolved to not interfere in the current era. Moreover, you are different from when you found me. Before, you were conflicted. A lost little girl. But now you have an opportunity to make reparations, and you have shown a contrite heart. As an act of mercy in this era, I will let you live; but you must dedicate your life to helping others. Do not turn back to the way you were before."

Doranbolt still regarded the Black Wizard warily even as Ultear processed the fact that Zeref – _Zeref_ – was sparing her. This went against everything that history told them about this man.

"You say you will spare Ultear… But what about the other four? Do you still intend to kill them?" He asked carefully, not wanting to incite the man's anger again but needing to risk it all the same.

Zeref took a moment to consider the man's query. He then tilted his head and gave his answer.

"… The thought had crossed my mind, but there is no need. The current era is about to give way to another slaughter."

"What does that _mean_?" Doranbolt hissed. He was confused with Zeref's repeated usage of the term 'current era'. It made him… uneasy.

"… Acnologia." Zeref responded calmly, to which both Doranbolt and Ultear staggered back at the mere mention of the name. He regarded Ultear again coldly. "Your conflict has summoned forth Acnologia; he is already approaching, and there is nothing to stop him now. Flee while you still can, for you are but ants beneath his boot. Even Natsu…"

As he trailed off with a complex look in his eye, Ultear desperately fled from the room and the ship. All Doranbolt could do was stand there, mortified at this latest revelation.

"You're… you're certain that Acnologia is really…?" The black dragon was no secret to those high up in the Council's ranks, including their Police Force. Lahar would be pulling out the moment he heard about this, and Doranbolt had an obligation to report it.

But… Fairy Tail…

"I'm afraid so." Zeref mused as he turned to walk back to the dark corner of the room. "The current era is all but over, but that still leaves me in a peculiar position… Just what should I do…? What role should I play?"

Doranbolt tuned the Black Wizard out as he disappeared. He was still confused about Zeref referring to his 'role' in everything, but that hardly mattered at the moment. If Acnologia was en route, he had to tell Lahar. That said, there was nothing to prevent him from warning everyone from Fairy Tail as well… He had the Magic to do so. Although Ultear seemed to be already on that…

Just what was he supposed to do?

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the Grimoire Heart airship, the trio of Exceeds was climbing around in a ventilation shaft after poking around a hallway or two looking for the thing that powered the ship.

"Maybe the power source is super small, and we just missed it…" Happy mused as they crawled along. Carla disagreed.

"Given the size of this ship, I find it highly unlikely it's being powered by anything that small."

"Is there a reason we're crawling through the ductwork?" Lily deadpanned.

"Don't look at me! Why don't you ask our fearless leader?!" Carla huffed.

"Just a feeling I have." was all Happy could offer.

"You'll feel my fists next!" Panther Lily raged. But then Happy stopped as a bright, eerie light shining directly below him through a grate caught his eye. As a result, Carla bumped into Happy's butt and Lily into Carla's.

"Jeez, you could at least give us a warning before you stop!" Carla huffed again. Happy had an ominous aura around him suddenly.

"Lily…"

"What now?" The black Exceed groused.

"… Did you touch it?" Happy asked quite seriously.

"Huh?"

Happy's expression became deadpan.

"Carla bopped into my butt, which means you must've got a face-full of her cushy tushy!" The blue Exceed accused.

"It's not my fault! You're the one that stopped without warning!" Lily raged back at him.

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault you couldn't stop yourself from copping a feel!" Happy continued with his eccentric rant. "Lily, prepare to die!"

"Would you stop acting like a child and focus on the mission at hand?! Besides, it's not even a big deal!" Lily continued trying to talk sense into the blue Exceed.

"It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me!" Happy roared. "I challenge you to a duel!"

"Would you knock it off already!" Carla roared back. "What made you stop in the first place, Happy? Did you see something?"

Happy gasped as he went back to looking at the light.

"Yeah, I did! Do either of you know what that thing is?"

Carla and Lily gasped as they got a good look at it. This had to be the power source.

* * *

The room they were in was absolutely wrecked now – there were holes in the floor, huge sections of walls and ceiling demolished… It was a mess. Four S-Class mages and a contender against Grimoire Heart's Master had resulted in quite the show of power. However, it seemed like the mages of Fairy Tail had finally earned their victory over the man. A Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar had done a number on the old man, and he hadn't got up for several minutes, so they assumed they had won.

Until he started talking and moving again, that is.

"You may have knocked me down, but I'm not out!" Hades praised his successor idly. "Well done, Makarov! You've raised some truly remarkable children despite your flawed philosophy."

"There's no way…" Wendy gasped as the old man leaned on his knees before standing up to his full height.

"I can't remember the last time someone left me tattered and worn after a good brawl!" Hades donned a similar cloak to the one he was wearing earlier, and now he seemed reinvigorated.

"How is he still standing?!" Gray wanted to know. But Hades regarded them all calmly, despite still being roughed up.

"I appreciate the entertainment, but I must get back to work. I'll be obliterating you now… Believe me, you'll wish I'd done so sooner." The man raised a hand to his eyepatch and took it off calmly.

"What kind of monster can survive such a powerful attack?!" Mira wondered in horror. As much crap as she gave Erza and the 'Flamebrain' because of their rivalry, she had never known anyone to survive Natsu's combined elemental assaults. Those were usually his trump card!

"Devil's Eye… open." Hades calmly chanted, and when he opened his right eye, it was glowing red, and there was a dark aura whirling around him tempestuously. "You will now witness something you've never witnessed before! The Abyss of Sorcery! From here extends an endless realm that surpasses your feeble imaginations!"

The aura soon flooded the wrecked room, and put all the Fairy Tail mages into distressed states.

"Do you feel that…?" Gray asked in awe. Wendy shook her head.

"It's not real! No, it can't be!"

"I've never sensed this much power in one place before!" Mira gasped out.

"And it's getting bigger by the second!" Lucy added.

Hades darkly regarded them all.

"I am the harbinger of Fairy Tail's last breath!"

Natsu punched the floor in frustration.

"No! I've used up my last strength… I threw _everything_ at him…" The only thing he didn't try was Dragon Force, and that was more because he lacked the preparation time for it. Even with four of his friends covering for him, he couldn't attempt to go into that state.

What a monster…

* * *

"Do you think that's it?" Happy asked after the three of them popped down from the air vent and got a better look at the eerily glowing and pulsing heart-like construct.

"Well, it doesn't really look like a power source, but who knows?" Carla mused with paws on her hips. Lily walked until they were a straight line in front of it.

"That's gotta be it! It's like the heart of the ship. Maybe that's the 'Grimoire Heart'…"

Just as he said this, the three of them turned to the steel doors behind them as they heard a panicked voice from outside.

"I heard voices inside!"

"Don't be ridiculous, how could anyone get in there?!"

Apparently, there were still grunts on the airship, and they were stationed to protect… whatever this was. Happy screamed in fright, and Carla was equally distressed.

"Oh, no! They found us!"

"I'll try to keep them occupied! You two put that thing out of commission!" Lily urged them as he ran toward the door while Happy and Carla got closer to the seeming power source.

"Any ideas?!" Happy exclaimed.

"Break it, of course!" Carla offered unhelpfully. She really had no ideas off the top of her head.

The guards outside did a double-take as Lily came running up to them with some random machine part in hand.

"How did a cat get in here?!" One of the guards bellowed, and another shook his head at his comrade.

"Who cares?! Just stomp it!"

Lily threw the machine part like a boomerang and struck many of the guards in one fell swoop.

"Stop _this_!" He caught his 'weapon' on the rebound and used it to block a guard who went in for a strike with his katana.

"You fleabag! Now you're asking for it!" However, he reeled back when Panther Lily grew to 'buff human' size.

Lily courageously punched the guard and showed no fear when the rest of the guards surrounded him.

"How'd he get so big?! GET HIM!"

One guard came charging up to Lily with a buster sword, and the Exceed deftly caught it in his hands. He then snatched it for himself.

"How generous!"

"B-But… That's _my_ sword!" The guard pitifully whined, and Lily swung it to beat back a great many of his enemies, generating some Magical Power as he the swing died down.

Back in the room, Happy was panicking.

"How are we supposed to break something that big on our own?!"

"I guess we're just gonna hafta fiddle with things at random…" Carla was still calm about all of it.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected! I never would've imagined I'd find a size eighteen sword on this side of Edolas!" Lily remarked in amusement as he admired the weapon in his hands. He gazed at his foolhardy foes as they charged him again while roaring about protecting the heart. "… I think I'll keep it. I could use a replacement for Bustermarm! Heh!"

The guard he'd stolen it from continued to whine from his position on the floor.

"Oh, c'mon, man! I spent four months on that Musica Sword!"

"BRING IT ON!" Lily roared as he reentered the fray with gusto and beat down many guards with his new toy. He was kicking up so much of a fight that the doors had blown open, and Happy and Carla were blown into a wall as things flew in from the hall outside.

"Hang on, Happy! This isn't over just yet!" Carla tried to reassure the blue tomcat.

"WHY DOES EVERYTHING WE DO INVOLVE HURTING?!" Happy bawled.

Eventually, Happy was smashed by enough things to comically be as flat as a sheet of paper as he floated around the power source.

"Next time Natsu wants something destroyed, he can do it himseeelf!" The Exceed whined.

* * *

Things had grown grim for the seven mages fighting against Hades. It was bad enough when he was merely exuding power… Now the Dark Mage had gone and given life to the very debris itself, creating terrifying monsters that had them surrounded. He called it his Arcane Magic.

Fear and hopelessness gripped all of them, even Natsu, Gajeel, and Laxus. But then… Gildarts' words echoed in Natsu's mind. He'd overheard that speech given to Simon and Wally, and that gave him the courage he needed to stand once again.

"I still have courage because you're all here with me!" Natsu said looking at every one of them – Mira, Laxus, Gray, Gajeel, Wendy, and Lucy. "There's no need to be afraid, 'cause when we're together, we can accomplish ANYTHING!"

This seemed to be a call to arms as they all stood tall and dodged the attacks sent their way. Eventually, Mira and Gray got behind Natsu and kicked at him while he leaped in the air and used their feet as spring boards to fly straight toward Hades again.

"I shall send you into the depths of Darkness!" Hades declared boldly, still maintaining a hand sign to keep his Arcane Magic working. Tendrils of Darkness shot out from behind him and surged forward. "It's time for your sun to set… FAIRY TAIL!"

But Natsu miraculously flew in-between all the tendrils and nailed Hades hard enough to blow up even more of the ship. As the other mages recovered from the blast, they looked toward Natsu and Hades – though Lucy noticed Natsu's scarf flying off into the wind, and she comically risked falling into the water to save it, while Wendy pulled her back from tipping over the ship. As for Natsu… his fist was still buried in the Dark Mage's face, and a moment later he was sent spiraling back violently.

Yet Hades quickly recovered, and he marveled at the Dragon Slayer's tenacity. _Never_ had anyone been able to defy Arcane Magic!

"That's impossible! My Arcane Magic had no effect on you?! How can that be?!" Hades bellowed even as the Dragon Slayer advanced on him again. "My Magic lies within! No… _It couldn't have_!"

He gasped as his right eye stopped glowing and became a normal white. Natsu struck him again with his fist, and Hades barely recovered while in midair. He soon realized what was going on… Fairy Tail had _somehow_ damaged his Devil's Heart, and it proved true as in the bowels of the ship, the grunts were cowering at the smashed protective glass and the heart that was leaking life fluid. Lily smirked at his partners' ingenuity, and Happy and Carla exchanged a high-five.

"What have you _done_ to my Heart!" Hades whispered in dismay. And as he wondered this…

"Look! All the monsters are starting to crumble!" Mira pointed out, for indeed the monsters were returning to their natural state of debris.

"They're disintegrating!" Gray agreed.

The Devil's Heart was the secret behind Master Hades' incredible Magic Power and his longevity… With it wounded, the Fairy Tail mages just might have a shot at winning the day.

 _'If they destroy it… I will lose all of my Magic Power! How could I, the all-powerful Hades, lose to Makarov and his children?!'_ Hades cursed internally. Natsu didn't let up now that Hades was noticeably slipping; now was the time to go all-out. However, Hades punched him away after regaining his footing and further repelled him with a burst of Dark magic. He followed that up with a fierce kick to Natsu's chin. "STAY BACK! Until I stand above all others who follow the path of Sorcery… THE DEVIL WITHIN ME WILL NEVER SLEEP!"

Despite his bravado, Laxus appeared in front of him next, and he slugged the Dark Mage with renewed vigor.

"ATTAAACK! C'MON, FAIRY TAIL!" It felt good to _finally_ get the upper hand in this fight.

Natsu recovered quickly from being beat back by Hades, and fire and lightning both crackled around his body as he exploded with Magic Power. Hades punched Laxus away, but now Gajeel, Gray, Mira, Wendy, and Lucy were all rushing him.

"This might be our last chance, so make it count!" Mira advised. Gray was in complete agreement.

"We gotta blast this geezer with everything we have!"

"If you come any closer, you shall feel my wrath!" Hades promised desperately as he unleashed a powerful pulse of Magic that repelled all of them, save for Gajeel, who remained rooted to the floor with his Iron Dragon's Scales, and sprung forward to strike him with his Iron Dragon's Club.

Lucy was the next one to recover as she skidded along the floor.

"I know we don't have a Contract yet, but… OPEN! Gate of the Sea Goat, Capricorn!" Lucy yelled, and in the next moment the Celestial Spirit was standing at her side, composed.

"At your service, milady! Do you need assistance?" The Spirit calmly asked.

"Take him down!" Lucy said with determination, and Capricorn was happy to oblige.

"Right!"

Hades stared at the Celestial Spirit with a dumbfounded expression that quickly morphed into hate.

"How _dare_ you!" But the Sea Goat punched him again and again before he delivered a spinning kick to the Dark Mage.

"I have rid myself of Sir Zoldeo! I am now Lady Lucy's Celestial Spirit, Capricorn!" The Sea Goat finished with an elbow strike, and Wendy flew up behind the old man.

"I wanna get a hit in, too! Sky Dragon WING ATTACK!" A strong burst of wind flew from 'wings' that were behind her, and it slammed Hades back onto the ground forcefully, making him tumble uncontrollably.

"GAAAH!"

Now Gray hovered over the old man and prepped an Ice Make attack.

"Ice Make… ICE BRINGER!" He bellowed as two large Ice swords appeared in his hands, and he slashed at Hades in an X-formation, gravely wounding him again.

Mira was the next one to attack, as she borrowed some Lightning from Laxus and flew in close to Hades and struck him with a melee attack that sent lightning coursing through his body.

"EVIL SPARK!"

Hades was now, painfully, back on his feet, but Natsu was charging him again with a fist coated in flames and the other in lightning. All he could do now was resort to _that_ attack…

"GRIMOIRE…" He began, but knew he wouldn't be able to finish his variation of Fairy Law. Natsu was too close, and he was bringing his hands together.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: EXPLODING LIGHTNING BLADE!" The pink-head bellowed, and a powerful vortex of flames and lightning overwhelmed the Dark Mage as he was unable to do anything to shield himself. The sun was beginning to rise on another day, which just went to show how long the Fairies and Devils had been 'playing'.

Needless to say, Natsu's attack was the finishing blow. Hades didn't get up again. Lucy hugged Natsu's scarf cheerfully, Gajeel and Gray grinned like idiots at winning the battle, Wendy pumped her fist in the air, Laxus smirked, and Mira and Capricorn smiled pleasantly. When all the dust settled, and they could all see the wrecked state of the upper part of the airship as a result of daybreak, Hades groaned pitifully from his twitching position on the floor. Natsu slumped to his knees in relief.

"We did it, Gramps… We showed him who's boss." He clenched his fists happily. "We put _everything_ on the line and showed him the power of our Guild… YEEEAH! Fairy Tail is the GREATEST!"

The Fairy Tail mages took some time to recuperate, after their hard-won fight. By the time they were walking around on the airship again, the sun was fully out and the skies were blue again.

"I'm glad _that_ 's over…" Gray mumbled as he looked to Mira with a smile. She just nodded her head.

"Yeah…" With that, she shimmered out of her Satan Soul and back into her normal clothes.

Wendy clasped her hands together and smiled happily.

"So I guess this means we won, huh?!"

Lucy walked over to Natsu and gave him his scarf back.

"Here, I figured you might want this."

"It is kinda chilly!" Natsu lightly joked and accepted it.

Gajeel and Laxus were off to the side quietly, but still enjoying the others' company. All of their attention was drawn to the Exceeds as Happy screamed and ran up to Natsu.

"WAAAH! You gotta save me, Natsu!"

"Help us!" Carla reiterated for her comrade.

"What is it now?" Natsu groused.

"Who's that behind 'em…?" Gajeel blinked and sighed as they all bore witness to a crowd of grunts chasing Panther Lily, who was trailing behind Happy and Carla.

"Talk about bad timing…" Gray grumbled.

"We're completely drained of Magic Power…" Mira agreed.

"Me, too…" Wendy chipped in.

"I'm afraid I don't have any left either," Panther Lily apologized.

"They all look so angry, don't they?!" Happy bawled.

"Yes, but can you blame them?" Carla sighed.

Abruptly, Makarov took a step onto the airship, and he wasn't alone.

"STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!" He barked at the grunts foolhardy enough to attack his children who had fought so bravely. Behind him was Freed, Bickslow, Gildarts, Cana, Sho, Lisanna, Juvia, Meredy, Simon, Wally, Elfman, Evergreen, and Levy. Some still looked a little roughed up, but otherwise ready to fight if it came down to it.

"Hey, Gramps!" Natsu greeted with a grin, and Lucy sighed in relief.

"Everyone's here!"

"Master's better! I'm so glad!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Good to see you guys…" Gray remarked in a tired tone, and Mira agreed with him, equally exhausted.

It took several moments for the situation to sink in for the grunts of Grimoire Heart. Many spoke up in a panic.

"There's more of them?!"

"Wasn't the pink girl one of the Kin?! And the goat, too!"

"Isn't that _Makarov_?!"

"Look over there! Master Hades has been defeated!"

Cana had about enough of their whimpering and brought out _a lot_ of cards with no pictures on them.

"OKAY! Time to go to prison, you jerks!" There was a sadistic gleam in her eye, but can you really blame her? The S-Class Trials were disrupted, and then she got torched and electrocuted by their resident Pyro. Of course she was a little eccentric right now.

And with that, there was a panic as many a Dark Mage tried to escape Cana and Sho's clutches, but each of them got herded into Card Dimensions for easy transport. Cana was about to do the same to Hades, but Makarov held her back, as he wanted to chat with the man briefly. In the meantime, everyone celebrated at being reunited – and for some, newly introduced, in the cases of Meredy and Capricorn (though Meredy only came along because there was the potential of Ultear being there). Natsu and Gray bumped fists, the Thunder Legion dogpiled on Laxus (despite his complaints and groans), the Strauss Siblings had a tear-jerking reunion, and Lucy and Levy danced about, amongst other happy reunions.

"You alright there, Juvia?" Gajeel asked as he sidled up to her and Meredy, who was hanging about the bluenette. He squinted at the pink-haired girl. "… Who's the new kid?"

"…" Meredy shyly looked at the Iron Dragon Slayer, not really comfortable with introducing herself. But Juvia beamed and patted her on the back.

"This is Meldy! She's going to join Fairy Tail as soon as she finds Ultear!" The Water Mage gushed, and the pinkette nervously tried to correct her about that misconception… nothing was for certain yet.

"Ohhh, so you're Meredy." Gray lazily greeted the trio as he walked up to them. "Ultear said to be on the lookout for you. I'm sure with Grimoire Heart beaten, she'll be comin' to look for ya anytime now. She had to get the Council off our backs since they coulda fired Etherion on this place…"

Meredy breathed a sigh of relief at hearing this; it would've been too much to lose Ultear even with Juvia and her bubbly personality as a 'new friend'.

"Th-Thank you…" The pinkette whispered with a few tears pricking her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

Simon, Wally, and Sho were standing and chatting away amicably as Gildarts hugged the stuffing out of his daughter and eccentrically claiming her to be his 'little girl' for helping beat back the two Grimoire Heart thugs that attacked the base camp while Natsu and the others were off fighting Hades. Apparently, Gajeel just left them lying around, and that came back to bite them… Still, it was just two, and they were quickly thwarted by Cana, Freed, Bickslow, Simon, and Wally.

"ALL RIGHT! LET'S GET BACK TO THE TRIIIAL!" Natsu roared gleefully as Lucy, Wendy, and Happy panicked at his exuberance.

"Seriously?!" The blue tomcat couldn't believe he still wanted to hold the Trials, but he _was_ in charge of the Second Trial with Laxus, so…

"The Second Trial was interrupted by Grimoire Heart, so I say we trash that and make it an all-out battle! Anyone that beats me gets S-Class rank!" Natsu suddenly felt Gajeel slam into his head.

"You must've been hit in the head one too many times if you think you can take me when you're all busted up like this!" Gajeel had a few bandages noticeably wrapped around his body while Natsu didn't… Oh, irony.

"Calm down, Gajeel!" Levy tried to soothe him, but Natsu was already set off as he got in Gajeel's face with a gleeful fanged grin.

"WHATEVER! 'Cause I'm a Lightning Flame Dragon, so it'll be a cinch!" Abruptly, he pulled back and moaned pitifully before falling on his back.

"Hey, you alright?!" Gajeel growled as Natsu didn't get back up. "HEY! Don't you go passing out on me, you wimp!"

"That's what you get for throwing all that fire and lightning around, ya Pyro." Gray nodded smugly and didn't move to help his rival. He could get back on his own power.

"Anyway, we should head back to base camp." Wendy smiled as she held Carla in her arms and started walking; behind her, the Thunder Legion was helping Laxus make his way back, too.

"If we don't get some rest soon, our bodies won't be able to hold up." Carla agreed with the bluenette's sentiment.

Everyone seemingly agreed with Carla's advice and they moved as one to go back to camp. There were some stragglers, like Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Capricorn, though.

"Hey, wait! Are you guys going to make me carry Natsu all by myself?!" Lucy exclaimed helplessly.

"Don't worry, Lucy! I'll be here to cheer you on!" Happy grinned at the blond.

"So you'll cheer, but you won't help carry him...?" Lucy sighed miserably.

The sun reflected off of Capricorn's glasses as he hovered over the blond.

"May I be of assistance?" He scooped up Lucy with one arm and draped Natsu in his other. "Please allow me to carry you both, milady!"

"Thank you, Capricorn… I really appreciate your help!" Lucy thanked him sincerely. Happy giggled at Natsu, though.

"Looks like Natsu's getting the short end of the stick here!"

Capricorn leaned down to Happy's level.

"Excuse me, Mister Cat… Are you a Guildmate of Lady Lucy's?"

"Aye, sir! I guess you could say I'm her role model!" The blue tomcat eccentrically replied while Lucy struggled not to hit him…

"Well, in that case…" And like that, the Sea Goat went on chatting with Happy amicably. A few feet in front of them were Cana and Gray.

"What are the two of them talking about back there?" Cana asked with a tired grin.

"I dunno, but they seem to be getting along great…" Gray mused thoughtfully.

Cana looked down as she sighed internally. It wasn't like she wasn't happy about beating the friggin' leader of the Balam Alliance, but she _really_ wanted to make S-Class in these Trials… She just hoped they'd be back underway soon, and that they wouldn't be outright cancelled.

And as Makarov's children left the airship, the man himself hovered over Hades, who had recovered enough to stop groaning continuously.

"Makarov…" The Dark Mage could see that his successor wasn't charging up any attacks. "Why don't you finish me…?"

He truly did not understand.

"Over the years… I've learned many things from you. As thanks, I'm willing to overlook what you've done this time, but I'm afraid the Council will still be expecting you. Just like the Oracion Seis, you and your Guild will be locked away."

"How can you be so naïve, boy…?" Hades asked in disbelief. "If you let me live, I shall return, and when I do I'll crush your Guild completely..."

"You may have defeated me in battle, but you have proven no match for the children I've raised." Makarov refuted his claim.

"You're wrong." Hades denied. "I was weak because my Heart was destroyed, while those youngsters were empowered by the Tenrou Tree! It was merely a coincidence. Otherwise I never would have lost to your children! Never!"

Makarov closed his eyes and breathed through his nose.

"Why did you fall to the Dark side?"

"I told you once… Darkness is the true nature of Magic! It is comprised of miracles born of shadows and subsequently brought to the light! After I retired from Fairy Tail, I began travelling down the road of Sorcery in the hopes of understanding the underlying principles of the world! I learned that the one we live in with its overflowing Magic… is a lie! The Grand Magic World that Lord Zeref described is the _true_ World of Magic. I wanted nothing more than to see it for myself. To make that happen, I began collecting all the Keys I needed to resurrect the legendary Black Wizard. I was so close… so incredibly close to my dream! Primordial Magic was finally within my reach!"

Makarov watched silently as the man lifted his hand pitifully toward the sun.

"Even if your dream had been realized, it wouldn't change anything." Makarov revealed his thoughts, which caused Hades to stare up in disbelief. "If Magic's true nature is Darkness… I can accept that. And if it's Light, I can accept that, too. Because Magic is alive! So its purpose is ever evolving with the times. It grows along with the Wizard who uses it! There's no definition of Magic because everyone thinks of it differently! It's as limitless as your imagination – it can be Darkness or Light, depending on its Caster. Fairy Tail is free to use Magic however we choose… These are all things I've learned from you, Master Precht!"

With this said, Hades closed his eyes and accepted his fate, and Makarov used a card that Cana loaned to him to capture the Dark Mage in a Card Dimension. Granted, he still had a different view than that of his successor, but he could not deny that Makarov had won the right to believe what he wanted, as his Fairy Tail had triumphed over the all-powerful Grimoire Heart.

What more was there to say?

* * *

It came with an ominous foreshadowing. Ultear had been at the base camp when they all returned, and she wasn't in the mood for explanations and casual talk. It was quite odd to see the young Milkovich so instilled with fear, but she was. And they soon learned the reason for that was one word… Acnologia. Granted, she had to explain what _that_ was, but all she could do was describe what the Council knew about the terrible, malicious creature. Gildarts took it from there as the brief description sounded an awful lot like the dragon that he had encountered. The one that had severely injured him.

Unfortunately for them, they were out of time. No sooner had they begun high-tailing it back to the ships than did a black dragon with blue markings descend until it was hovering over Tenrou. Its size was such that it cast an ominous shadow over the Fairy Tail mages and Ultear and Meredy as they could do nothing to outrun that thing. Not with Magic, and certainly not with boats. Hell, could they even stand to fight it…?

"It's Acnologia, the Dragon of the Apocalypse." Makarov calmly repeated even as some of his children began to panic. Even the trio of Dragon Slayers were overwhelmed by this dragon's mere presence; they could all tell it possessed immense power… and killing intent. It was a monster bloodthirsty for battle.

They acted on human instinct and tried to fight it, but what they could manage proved to be like an ant throwing its body at a boot. All hope had left them… Makarov, Gildarts, Natsu, Laxus, Gray, and Mira… not one of them could keep up with this creature. It made Hades seem like a playground bully by comparison. Death was staring them in the face…

And then… He came. The most unlikely of saviors.

"Zeref…" Ultear whispered as she recognized the man's back. He had put himself between the Fairy Tail Mages and Acnologia, who had them all cornered at a cliff-face. His dark hair shadowed over his eyes, and he did not look back as he spoke in his usual somber tone.

"Perhaps this makes my work a lot harder for the new era, but I will make one final act of mercy. I will keep him at bay, but you must make haste to the boats. No questions… just leave." He stated with finality, much to the ire and confusion of many of the mages present. However, there was one who could not keep quiet even in the face of death twice over.

"What's in it for you?!" Natsu bellowed despite the man's demand. When Zeref didn't say anything, he raised his voice more. "TELL ME! You trespassed on our island, and then you brought Grimoire Heart down on us! We deserve ANSWERS!"

Alas, Zeref kept his peace. Makarov found it peculiar that the very Black Wizard his predecessor had been seeking would go out on a limb for them… But he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. They were at the end of the line, and they were being given a branching path off this suicidal road. Curiosity could wait to be mulled over later.

"NATSU! Just be quiet and COME!" The Guild Master barked and used his Titan Magic to drag the Pyro by the scarf as everyone else fled to the right. Of course the dragon attempted to bar their escape, but it was pushed back by an overwhelming wave of Dark Magic; when it turned to look down at Zeref, he was glaring up at the dragon as if they were equals.

"You will _not_ slaughter these people. It is not yet time." The Black Wizard thundered, and that was the last thing Natsu overheard as Makarov kept pulling him along. He'd ceased struggling, because he couldn't stop thinking about Zeref's eyes. For the briefest of moments, they were panned over to him; and while they were trained on him, Natsu _swore_ there was a sense of familiarity there. And he did not miss how there was a single stray tear that ran down the Black Wizard's cheek.

"Just what the hell was that about…?" Natsu asked to himself, unable to stop thinking about Zeref now.

While Natsu's mind was elsewhere, everyone else was focused on taking the quickest route off the island. The boats they took there would have to be left behind, as no matter how sluggish it might've been, the Grimoire Heart airship was still helluva lot faster by comparison. And with Ultear's help, they got it all fixed up and safe to travel on. She and Meredy were also of help in working out how to pilot it, so there was no issue there.

Still… the mages of Fairy Tail couldn't help looking back out at the ever-shrinking island in a mixture of worry and doubt. For all they knew, Zeref would just let Acnologia go at some point, and it would follow them. However… it never did. They made it all the way back to Hargeon Port, and there was still no sign that Acnologia would pursue them there.

Somehow… they were safe. They made it back alive.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Haaah~… Man. Biggest chapter yet. But I did not –** _ **did not**_ **– want to cut off the conclusion with Acnologia. I typed feverishly to get to this point, even if I devolved into mainly narrative toward the end. The reason for that is that there is** _ **a lot**_ **to cover in this and the events that follow, and I just want to flashback to it.**

 **But… Timeskip! Weren't expecting the regular variety, were ya?! XD Natsu and co.** _ **do not**_ **get frozen in time on Tenrou Island. I know that's been done in fanfiction, but that's usually where time-travel or OP Natsu comes into play. NOT SO here. I went and experimented with a mysterious character like Zeref, and I had him do one last charitable act before the era fully transitioned over. I'm sure you can speculate as to** _ **why**_ **he would go out on a limb for the Fairies; I'll leave that fun all to you guys. Heck, I'll even let you question whether or not Zeref would survive this hypothetical clash, in theory. But in return, I'll leave you with this food for thought – Zeref had created many nasty Demons, and he did in fact respect Acnologia as an enemy. However. If Acnologia was really powerful enough to kill him, don'tcha think he would've thrown himself in this bloodthirsty warrior's way to do it instead of waiting around four hundred years for END to do it? I think there's something screwy here… Heh. Well, I suppose Zeref did manifest 'multiple personality disorder' because of his Curse and being around several centuries. So he is screwy. XD**

 **But I digress. I personally think Acnologia, powerful as he is, wouldn't be able to fulfill Zeref's wish. And frankly, it doesn't matter in this situation 'cause I have their confrontation mapped out, what they'll say to one another… sorta. Might be a bit reminiscent of that talk they have in canon. ^_^ Anyways. There's the twist for y'all. Hope you enjoyed the Tenrou Island Arc; we're now entering a sort of 'filler Arc' as we peer at all the radical changes that happen in the next seven years as the characters live their lives seven years from now. Oooh… I am** _ **salivating**_ **at the mere thought of all the new and exciting stuff I can dink around with. *pleasurable shudder* XD 'Til next time.**

 **Edit 1/27/2017: For those confused about the name change and removal of chapters... I basically just got around to separating this 'main AU' from the Glimpses fic. As this is the one with all the favs and follows, I took a gamble that most of you are reading this for the 'main AU'. For those of you more into the shorter stuff, just go check 'The Pyro and the Knight: Glimpses through the Years' that was placed up tonight. Sorry for the hassle, though a few were just wanting the two separated. Ergh. That was tedious editing...**


	31. Chapter 31

**Point-in-Time: April X791**

* * *

The Fairy Tail Guild Hall. Based in the town of Magnolia, this rambunctious Guild protects the town…

"Ya gone and done it again, ya bunch of clods! A whole DISTRICT got wrecked this time! The _market_ district, I might add! No, competing to see who can get the best deals is _not_ appreciated!

… protects the peace…

"No, Elfman… it is still _not_ okay to sock the client for insulting your manhood. You should know better by now… and stop beating up any other man that even looks at Evergreen like a pervert! I bawl every time a new medical bill gets sent to my desk…

… all over Fiore…

"Erza, I know how Ichiya can get, but this time you traumatized several of their potential clients when you… reacted to his advances. _Please_ try to tone it down… And don't think I've forgotten about you, _Gray_ … I swear you and that Lyon boy from Lamia Scale will be the death of me. … The same goes for you, Cana. Stop trying to outdrink Bacchus. There is no outcome save for a stalemate… every time.

… and is just loved and adored by the Magic Council.

"Natsu, my boy, I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood… But you must _stop_ antagonizing the Magic Council! Ever since Yajima stepped down years ago, we've lost a lot of sway in Era. Councilman Org will occasionally speak in our defense, as will Councilwoman Belno, but they've added some new members, and they are _not_ fans of your shenanigans. Especially that Gran Doma." Makarov Dreyar sighed at the mere thought of that anal-retentive man. He certainly wasn't a friend like Yajima. Operate within the confines of the law, and you were on that man's good side; take one step outside of it, and he will crack down on you. No exceptions. It really made Makarov wish he could retire right this second, but he made a promise to his successor, and he would keep it. "Alright, with that out of the way, I can say I gave you all a good tongue-lashing, and the Magic Council can kiss my ass. We're free to use Magic any way we choose, after all."

Makarov grinned mischievously and hopped down from the second floor railing to let everyone go about their day again. What was seven more years to his already weary bones? On his best days he felt as spritely and nimble as Natsu and Erza's two children. On others… Well. Cana picked up that nasty drinking habit from somewhere…

As the Guild Master plopped himself down on the bar counter and sighed contentedly as he cradled his favorite beverage, Gildarts waved lazily from his place two seats away at the bar counter.

"Kids still running rings around you, eh?" The Crash mage asked with an amused smirk, earning a playful derisive snort from the Master.

"Hmph. I could be in the restaurant business with Yajima if it wasn't for you and Laxus _both_ turning down the position… We could set it up at Akane Resort where all the pretty young ladies come to play, but nooo… I have to wait a little bit longer for retirement."

Gildarts rolled his eyes.

"After Tenrou Island, can you really blame the kid? It was bad enough Grimoire Heart blindsided us – that monster attacked and nearly ended us all. No way he'd feel confident filling your shoes; I can totally understand why he threw himself back into training when we got back." He smirked as the Master raised a brow skeptically. "And me… Well, I told you. It's not for me. Even if I didn't prefer the open road, I don't think Magnolia could take me being around permanently… No, Laxus was your best bet. Well… him and the one that actually accepted the torch."

"On the condition I wait until after this year's Grand Magic Games… I know." Makarov mused as he sipped his drink. Staring down at his lap, he couldn't help reflecting on that spectator sport. Granted, the prize money was always a welcome gift for their coffers, but they hadn't won in the past two years. They'd gotten complacent, and as a result the Games took advantage of the 'usual' participants they sent, selecting events that they couldn't excel at. Despite that, they clawed their way back to second place each time,

Makarov's successor had every intention of ensuring they took first place this year, and that meant she had to participate. Which meant she couldn't be Guild Master… _yet_. Makarov could perfectly understand her frustration; he, too, wanted nothing more than to take home the gold again and rub it in that upstart Jiemma's face. They would have to go all-out this year…

"Master… what are you plotting…?" Erza asked warily as she and Natsu sauntered up to the bar counter to greet him and Gildarts.

Makarov dropped his devious grin at her appearance.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about the Games." Makarov plainly answered, idly swinging his legs over the edge of the counter. He burst into giggles and then glugged his drink. The kiddie gloves were off this year; condolences for Sabertooth.

"… Oh." Was all Erza could say to that as she sweatdropped. She knew he was looking forward to retirement, but the Games were still three months away. Preparation would come first… _then_ victory.

Natsu grinned at the reminder those were coming up. Those two arrogant Dragon Slayers were gonna be there, and he was finally gonna get payback. The past two years the matches were arranged so he wouldn't fight them, but he had a good feeling about this year. This year they were goin' down.

"Anyway! Erza 'n I are taking this one, Old Man!" Natsu showed off the flyer, which surprisingly didn't come from upstairs. Makarov squinted at it before giving a good chortle.

"Oho! I haven't heard the name Twilight Ogre in a while… So they reestablished themselves in Oak Town, hmm?" Makarov rubbed his chin at remembering the 'rival Guild' that tried to set themselves up in Magnolia… Needless to say, they got chased out when they attempted… _charging_ Magnolia's citizens for their added protection. It only took Kagura and Mira to discipline the lot of them (Erza was still pregnant at the time), which prompted them to hightail it out of town.

"Yes." Erza confirmed with a nod. "What's more is that the Magic Council had denounced them as a Dark Guild as of a few years back, hence the Quest to bring them to justice."

"I see." Makarov remarked before sipping his drink. Placing the cup down on the counter, he turned back to look at the pair of them. "Need us to look after the kids, then?"

Erza shook her head.

"Kagura is taking care of Mikoto, so I thought it would be nice to go on a Quest with Natsu. It has been a while since it was just the two of us." She smiled at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer, who grinned right back at her.

"Yeah, and Ryo's gone out with Romeo, Alzack, and Bisca to see what a job is like. We woulda taken him with us, but he wanted to spend some time with his friend." Natsu grinned again at the thought that his boy was great friends with Macao's son. Ryo took after his mother in a lot of ways – red hair, reserved personality, liked to read (granted, he was only starting to, but even still, he _loved_ it)… Even though he got his face and eyes from his father. Mikoto might as well have been a Mini Erza in appearance, but with Natsu's liveliness and his love for fire. She was gonna be three years' old that year, and already Natsu could tell she wasn't going to want to blow out her birthday candles…

"We should be back by the end of the day, so there's no need to worry." The scarlet knight promised solemnly. Gildarts smirked at the Dragon Slayer.

"Oi, Natsu, how're those other girls of yours doin'? I heard Kagura made S-Class last year."

The scarlet knight narrowed her eyes at the way Gildarts worded his question… Of course she had no reason to suspect Natsu of cheating on her, but the Crash mage's perverted humor left a lot to be desired…

"Aw, Wendy's good!" Natsu rubbed the back of his head abashedly. "She still likes taking jobs with us the most, but sometimes she'll help out Team Shadow Gear, Macao, and a few others. And yeah, Kagura made S-Class; if you ask her, it was long overdue, but she earned it!"

"Simon and Meldy have been joined at the hip for a while." Erza added with a slightly coy grin. Maybe it wasn't her place, but she did nudge the pinkette and her old friend together years ago when Meredy first joined. It wasn't anything as fantastic as romance… not at first, anyway. Meredy was simply shy and unsure of how to adjust joining a Guild that she once had strong disdain for on her mother's behalf. So Erza helped by introducing her to a less rowdy member; and really from there, they hit it off. The girl gladly joined the team when she started befriending Simon.

Mira had been a bit grumpy on Juvia's behalf when that happened, but it wasn't as if the two never saw each other.

"That sounds great!" Gildarts grin became the slightest bit mischievous as he glanced at the pair of mages. "… What about Ultear?"

Erza went rigid as the Crash mage brought up… _her_ … Officially, Master Makarov placed her on Team Crimson Flame because as a former foe, she needed observation for a time before she could gain their trust (not to mention the trust of Doranbolt, who helped her escape scrutiny from the Magic Council). Unofficially… she could have picked _any_ S-Class Wizard to tag along with on Quests – _including_ Gray – but who did that flirtatious harlot pick to team up with…? **Natsu**. And being the kind, friendly soul that he was, Natsu didn't turn her away.

The scarlet knight could recall all too well that 'chat' she had with the 'Time Witch' (Erza's given nickname for her) shortly after joining the team. It only served to illustrate that Ultear really had changed… more or less.

* * *

 _Erza was casually sitting at a table in the Guild Hall, enjoying her favorite dessert of strawberry cheesecake when one of their latest additions strode up to her table. It was as if the other woman didn't know or care that it was Erza's precious 'cheesecake time' – you know, the times when you never,_ ever _have a Guild brawl on pain of Punishment? The times when you leave her to eat her cake in_ peace _?_

 _… Well, Ultear didn't seem to get that memo._

 _"Lovely day." The young Milkovich greeted with a slightly saccharine smile as she took the seat across from Erza. The scarlet knight narrowed her eyes at the dark-haired woman's actions. This was the last person she wanted to be talking to while eating her strawberry cheesecake._

 _And what's more was that she could tell it wasn't to have a friendly discussion._

 _"Mmm." Erza grunted as she shoved a forkful of divine dessert into her mouth. She tried to tune the young Milkovich out, but she kept running that mouth of hers._

 _"Fairy Tail is about what I expected; means well, causes a lot of destruction, but does some good." Ultear continued on, 'blissfully unaware' of the knight's darkening mood. … Yeah, you could tell she was purposefully doing this._

 _"…" Erza said nothing as she speared another chunk of cake with her fork and gobbled it up._

 _"I'm especially surprised Natsu has managed to keep ahold of his Saint medallion, but I suppose he_ is _a hero. I can't deny it after what happened on Tenrou." Ultear smirked as that seemed to get a rise out of the redhead. She'd wanted to see if the knight could keep her composure before the 'N' word came up, and she surprisingly did spectacularly. … Though the moment the Dragon Slayer became a topic, that was when Erza couldn't stay 'cordial' anymore._

 _"What. Do. You. Want?" Erza growled as she set down her fork. Ultear pouted at the scowl on her new teammate's face._

 _"Nothing. Natsu and the others weren't here yet, so I decided to get acquainted with his lovely wife. Natsu certainly is a lucky man." Ultear 'gushed', but quickly settled back into a smirk at the redhead's penetrating glare. "I'll be frank, Erza. That 'flirting game' hasn't really been a game for a good long time. In a number of ways, I really do admire and love your husband. You certainly know how to pick them, too."_

 _As Erza opened her mouth to loudly argue with the woman, she shook her head and continued on speaking._

 _"But I can't deny he is yours, and you are his. Watching you two interact every day, it's as if your honeymoon is just beginning. Sure, you're only a few months into this marriage, but it's really not declining in the intensity and passion. I envy that." Ultear smiled again a little too sweetly. "Nevertheless, I'm not going to obstruct that bond. Tease you, yes, but seriously pursue your man? … No."_

 _Erza developed a tick mark on her forehead as the Arc of Time mage put it in those terms._

 _"In other words, same old, same old?" Erza twitched as the woman across from her offered an exaggerated closed-eyes smile and clapped her hands tauntingly._

 _"Very good! Of course, with me as a member of Fairy Tail, you will be experiencing that teasing on a daily basis. So really, it might be worse than before… at least from your perspective."_

 _Erza sighed in aggravation._

 _"We will never be friends, will we?"_

 _"Oh, I like to think we'll be friendly and amicable to one another. … But no, I suppose 'friends' is stretching it a bit." Ultear mused with a smirk tugging at her lips again. "Our pasts and personalities won't allow it. Though in retrospect, that might be a good thing. You need the occasional reminder from a rival."_

 _"…?" Erza raised her brow at that last part. "Reminder?"_

 _Ultear only nodded with a bright smile._

 _"Mm-hm. I won't do anything to jeopardize your relationship. And I'm pretty sure you won't either… But. If for whatever reason you do, just remember that I'll be there to snatch him up. He's too good of a catch to remain single." Ultear stood up and walked around the table to pat the twitching knight on the shoulder. She leaned down and whispered into the redhead's ear. "Oh, and by the way, Natsu and the others already left. I just wanted to stay behind to talk with you."_

 _With that, the young Milkovich winked and walked off as if they'd just been talking about the weather. Erza continued to twitch even when she was long gone._

 _"… I am never going to like her. Ever." The redhead huffed exasperatedly._

* * *

"Oh yeah, Ultear's doing great!" Natsu grinned at the Crash mage. "I think she's out on a job with Gray 'n Mira's team right now, though. Somethin' about the Council…"

At Gildarts' raised eyebrow, the aged Guild Master sighed.

"While you've been gone, the Magic Council has been _dying_ to get at Tartaros… They're the only Guild that's keeping the Balam Alliance from falling apart, but they're also elusive as ever. If anything, they've completely dropped off the map for the past seven years. Even their sub-Guilds… It's concerning, to say the least. Like the calm before the storm. Which is why Councilman Org has requested Team Mira for a reconnaissance assignment on one of the Tartaros' sub-Guilds that have grown bold recently. They may not be back for a few weeks yet."

"Sounds… interesting." Gildarts mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The Balam Alliance had never really bothered him, per se. Yeah, they were bad guys that needed taking down, but Fairy Tail seemed to be doing just fine without him actively helping. Natsu and the other S-Class Wizards had everything under control.

… Though he _would_ admit that he was glad he was there when Grimoire Heart attacked. Hades hadn't been messing around when he sent in Bluenote Stinger… a man that was still on the run, apparently, but they'd crush him if he popped up again.

"Anyways…" Natsu trailed off before raising a hand over his mouth and calling to their other constant companion. "Ya comin', Happy?! We gotta get goin'."

"Aye, sir!" The spritely blue Exceed chirped as he finished off a mackerel and hurried over to the married couple. Even after seven years, he looked about the same as ever. With Natsu and Erza, they at least wore minor different styles of clothes and armor – Natsu wore an open-collared, one-sleeved long overcoat that was similar to his old waistcoat, and wore the same pants as before as well as Igneel's scarf; as for Erza, her Heart Kreuz Armor had gone through some minor alterations, with the most striking one being the lack of a sleeve for her left arm, which showed off her Guild Mark proudly – and matured more in their physical appearance; but Happy? Not really. At least in his default cute Chibi form.

"Well, we're takin' off, then! Later!" Natsu hollered as he ran off with Erza and Happy pursuing him. Makarov called after the three of them.

"Don't forget there's a Wizard Saint meeting tomorrow, boy! _Don't_ play hooky!"

"Got it, Gramps!" Natsu called back with a wide grin. Makarov could only sigh and pray that Erza kept him in line. It was a well-balanced relationship, but sometimes Natsu was too charming for his own good; Erza had been light as a feather with all her past troubles put to rest, and it was so easy for her to get caught up in the moment or distracted by Natsu's roguish smile. Don't even talk about his puppy dog eyes when it comes to that scarlet knight.

"Still calling him a boy, huh?" Gildarts smirked at the Master's deadpan stare.

"Well, you are all still my children, and you will _always_ be my children. Many have grown into capable youngsters, but they have so much more to grow and experience. … Besides, Natsu still has a childish streak or two left in him."

"So does your predecessor, apparently." Gildarts mused with a frown. Makarov scowled at the mere mention of the man.

"The less said about _him_ , the better." The old man huffed before picking up his drink again and taking a swig. "… Although, I have heard that Warrod Sequen has been visiting him for the past seven years. I can only hope that an old friend can get through to him… I certainly couldn't."

* * *

"I still hate trains…" Natsu complained as his head was lain across Erza's lap. When she resumed taking jobs after giving birth to their second kid, the fiery redhead had gradually stopped punching him in the gut on modes of transportation to get him over his motion sickness. Granted, sometimes she still did it for the nostalgia, but by this point it was a rarity.

… It still weirded Natsu out, somewhat.

"I know, but this is the only way we're going to make the trip in one day." Erza soothed him as she ran a bare hand through his spiky locks. She'd Requipped into her white blouse until they got to Oak Town, as she found it put the Dragon Slayer more at ease on these portions of trips.

"Yeah…" Natsu reluctantly agreed as the train lurched forward and began to move. Deciding to take his mind off the knot growing in his stomach due to the motion of the train, Natsu blurted out the first topic that came to mind. "So… Luce has been askin' about Scorpio 'n Gemini again."

"So I've heard." Erza inclined her head thoughtfully. "No one would blame you for giving them to a friend. Lucy treats her Spirits well."

"Eh… Maybe not, but it wouldn't be fair to Sorano." Natsu grinned sheepishly. "And it's not like I can hand the Keys to her and she can just use 'em. Both kinda want to continue working with Angel. I was confused as hell when Scorpio's Key was with Luce back on Tenrou, but apparently it was a one-time thing to meet Aquarius's Summoner."

Erza smiled wryly at the mention of the Celestial couple. Lucy was quite lucky to have such loyal Spirits; and she was four Golden Keys away from having a 'complete set' of the Zodiac. Still, if those four had different owners they wanted to be Contracted to, who were they to force the issue?

"I'm just glad you all made it back." Erza replied quietly with closed eyes. It was one thing to see your closest friends and family come back with an airship when you knew they traveled by boat… But it was another thing entirely to hear the story of how they acquired that airship.

"Told ya we would!" Natsu flashed her his patented grin that never failed to reassure her. "Cana and Junkyard even got promoted when we got back and redid the Trials, remember?"

Erza smiled fondly at the memory of the do-over of the X784 Trials. Master had been adamant about there being only one promotion, but he capitulated after all the S-Class Wizards that had been on Tenrou vouched for the Iron Dragon Slayer in addition to Cana, who practically dominated the 'do-over'. Even Laxus thought Gajeel was worthy of promotion after standing up to Hades with them; Lucy and Wendy were there as well, but at the time they just weren't ready for the pressures of being S-Class.

"They did." Erza murmured fondly. "Wendy's out on a Quest with him now, isn't she?"

"Aye!" Happy affirmed for the redhead, sitting across from the pair. "Levy and Lucy wanted to take the Quest to capture that Velveno guy, and Gajeel got forced to go with 'em 'cause it's at a fancy ball. Wendy went with 'em to help Gajeel with his motion sickness."

Natsu smirked at the reminder. Funny how they shared the same Achilles Heel. Junkyard tried to hide it, but Natsu found out and hadn't stopped taunting him since. … Of course he sympathized with Wendy when she picked it up, too. Sometimes it wasn't easy bein' a Dragon Slayer.

Erza, on the other hand, was pouting. She'd been eyeing that Quest longer than Team Shadow Gear, but they still got to it first because Natsu didn't want to learn to dance… Why he was so terrified of dancing was beyond her. All he needed was Spirit. He spun quite nicely!

"Natsu…?" Erza muttered as she saw his smirk change to a contemplative stare. Whenever he got that look, it was typically very good… or very bad. Erza wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"We should get the team back together!" Natsu suddenly said, garnering shocked reactions from his companions. He grinned widely at their incredulous looks. "All seven of us! … Well, nine, counting Happy 'n Carla. But yeah! I don't think all of us have been on a Quest together."

Erza gained a thoughtful look at this bit of reasoning; true, she didn't much like Ultear, but a vigorous Quest tackled by seven mages… It excited her a bit, too.

"Well, seven's a bit overkill…" Happy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at the thought of it. Then he blinked and appeared even more sheepish. "… Okay, _way_ overkill! You, Erza, and Kagura are all S-Class mages, and Ultear might as well be one! Wendy, Simon, and Meredy got way stronger, too!"

"But Team Crimson Flame's all about the overkill." Natsu deadpanned at the blue Exceed. Then he brightened up again and flailed his arms excitedly. "Think of the kickass mission that we could tackle! Heehee! I bet we could tackle a SSS-Class Quest in days!"

Happy sweatdropped.

"Now I think you're exaggerating…"

Well, Erza seemed to disagree with the Exceed.

"Nonsense! If we make it a competition with Mira's team, we will surely emerge victorious in no time at all!" The explosive fire in her eyes made Happy all the more nervous.

"Ooh! I didn't think of competing with Stripper and his team! They're toast!"

Happy continued to shrink in his seat as the married couple continued to run away with Natsu's idea of reuniting the team. It sounded like such an innocent and nice idea on the surface, but these two were in it for competition and adventure. Which wasn't bad, per se… but… would they even have a reward if all seven of them took on a Quest together?

"You two haven't changed at all…" Happy muttered, which wasn't heard by the excited couple across from him. In seven years, they hadn't changed _at all_ … They might as well be made for each other. Mira and Freed didn't seem to have a marriage this strong, nor Juvia and Gray a relationship this deep. But then again, they all had their own pace for doing things, including relationships. Even Gajeel and Levy stopped beating around the bush… sorta.

Happy tuned out the couple's devious chattering as he reflected on some of the highlights in the past seven years. There was a lot of development interpersonally in this time of peace and quiet. … Peace and quiet for _them_ , at least. Fairy Tail wasn't a contender for strongest Guild in Fiore for being a bunch of reserved, rule-abiding Wizards. And there wouldn't even be any question about their Number One slot if it hadn't been for that new powerhouse of a Guild known as Sabertooth…

* * *

The aged man stared listlessly at the wall across from his cell as the torches flickered seemingly endlessly. Seven long years he'd been forced to live in this state of squalor and imprisonment… He'd originally been placed in a much more secure cell, but once Makarov handed over the Devil's Heart to the Council, his life had since been in their hands. There was no need to place special protection on him when they possessed the very thing that granted him immense power and longevity.

Hades, once known as Precht Gaebolg, sighed breezily as he heard the approaching footsteps of some guards and someone else. A visitor. It didn't take much guesswork to figure out who of all people would want to visit _him_ , the fallen Guild Master of Fairy Tail. He'd had only the one ever since he was relegated to these stone walls and iron bars.

"… Warrod. What a 'surprise'." The Master of Grimoire Heart grimly greeted his old comrade. The man, Warrod Sequen, had changed even more than him, with his Magic merging with his very being, so to speak.

"Precht! You're in some hot water again, eh?" Warrod grinned infectiously. "What's the escape plan this time?"

… And his sense of humor left a lot to be desired.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" The Wizard Saint chuckled at his friend's increasingly sour expression. They'd been through this enough times for the guards to be _a little_ more lax in standing outside the cell. Even with Precht sapped of his strength, they couldn't be too careful. He _was_ the supposed leader of the whole Balam Alliance, at least as far as they were aware. "Lighten up, old friend! You'll only get wrinkles if you keep scowling like that."

Precht shook his head in slight irritation.

"I thought you would have learned by now, Warrod… I have nothing more to share with the Magic Council. Tartaros is your problem now, not mine."

Warrod chuckled once more good naturedly as he sat down across from Precht and slid a platter with a tea set on it between them, before pouring a cup for himself.

"Oh, you know I don't let those stiff rule-makers order me around. I keep to myself; do my best to liven up desert climates. Perhaps it's a meager existence, but it's one I enjoy."

Precht rolled his eyes at the Saint's humility. The man was revered as one of the 'Four Gods of Ishgar' – did he seriously think that people would buy the 'gardener' routine? It was his favorite pastime, but Precht knew that wasn't all to the Wizard Saint's identity.

"That makes one of us…" The white-haired prisoner flatly intoned before reluctantly taking some tea for himself. If nothing else, accepting Warrod's tea tended to make the man's visits shorter… Not that Precht particularly cared one way or the other. True, he loathed the man's visits, but paradoxically they brought about something 'new' to his otherwise monotonous life in a cage.

Now, if his subordinates would arrange for his release… Alas, Oracion Seis and his own Guild were locked away, their subordinate Guilds were being hunted down by the Light Guilds, and Tartaros had all but dropped off the map. Escape seemed but an impossible dream at this point, seven years after he was thrown in here.

"What happened to us, Precht?" Warrod remarked wistfully as he locked eyes with the Dark Mage. "Long ago, _a century ago_ , the future seemed so bright when we established Fairy Tail with Mavis. And now… here we are. Both of us distanced from the very Guild we helped create."

As Warrod waved a hand around emphatically at his cell, Precht breathed a sigh again. This was precisely why he hated speaking with the Wizard Saint. It was always the same whenever he came here; the man would try to talk 'sense' into him, even though there was no point. The Council would never release him. And truth be told, Precht didn't regret a single one of his transgressions. The only thing he didn't regret… was crushing Makarov and his children utterly and completely. He'd left the man alive when he should've slain him where he lie; alas, perhaps there was a bit of the 'old' Precht left in him, since he left Makarov a chance to continue living.

"We grew old." Precht's answer was bitter and left no room for levity. He despised how Warrod could somehow compare their two situations when they were polar opposites. And besides… it was the truth. Growing old seemed to make you realize the truth about the world and how dark it really was. Youth and its vigor made you cling to foolish notions…

"I suppose that's a valid answer!" Warrod cracked a wry grin. "Although if you want to hear my opinion on the conundrum… I believe Fairy Tail was never a dream to be realized. It was supposed to be the vehicle to which we all could learn what we wanted most, and to perhaps give us the tools and companions needed for achieving our individual dreams. After all, while we trained alongside Mavis, we acquired Magic that was appropriate for each of us – Mavis, Yuri, you, and me. I left the Guild so that I might better assist people suffering in desert climates. You… You left to do some soul-searching of your own, did you not?"

Precht harrumphed but did not otherwise comment. His motivations were none of Warrod's concern. Perhaps in the beginning he wished to revive Mavis… but that ship set sail long ago. He became engrossed in research of Lost Magics and the origins of Magic itself, so Precht lost sight of the 'simple' dream of bringing Mavis back to the world of the living. There was nothing to be said in his defense, and the Dark Mage had no wish to defend any of his actions.

"That may be your interpretation, Warrod, but as Makarov said… there is no one interpretation of Magic that is absolutely correct. You have your way of thinking, and I have mine. I lost to Makarov, so I have no room to talk."

Warrod rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Precht set his empty cup down on the platter. A few moments later, he did the same and stood up with the platter in hand.

"You know… I sometimes find myself wondering. Would I have turned you down if you had approached me to support your 'Grimoire Heart'?" At Precht's incredulous stare, the Wizard Saint smiled wryly again. "Do you really think I would have turned down an old friend? We were both once treasure hunters, you and I. It's not hard to imagine a Wizard Saint falling from grace, especially nowadays."

Warrod chuckled once more before turning around and walking out of the cell as one of the guards opened the door. Precht could only narrow his eyes as his former ally left. He just couldn't imagine Warrod stooping to the same level as him; if he ever did such a thing, it would only to be to talk him out of his pursuit of Zeref.

But then again… they _had_ once been brothers-in-arms. Precht paradoxically wouldn't doubt Warrod's genuine interest in assisting him. They were both founders of Fairy Tail, and Mavis's ideals had quite a bit to say about helping people you called 'allies'…

"Hmph…" Precht shook his head as he gave up trying to puzzle out Warrod's parting words. The man had a penchant for joking at the worst of times… but he could be serious, too. Either way, it didn't matter now. What's done was done.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Haaah~… Shorter chapter than last time, but about the average I wanna aim for. A little over even. Meh. This might be a bit of a letdown since I didn't reveal a TON of stuff, but we'll be getting into it, don't worry. Next few chapters, we'll be delving into various flashbacks as we see character development for relationships like Gajevy, Gruvia, MiFree (I dunno what to call this one for short… going with that), and even Natza as they raise the kids. The scene between Erza and Ultear was inspired by Tempest35 in our PM thread… Really, a lot of the dialogue came directly from a roleplay or two he did. I liked it enough to include it. :D**

 **That said, bet you weren't expecting a chat between Warrod and Precht. Well, I wanted to squeeze one in somewhere, but I'm not sure how the next few chapters will pan out storywise, so I just slapped it in here so I wouldn't forget it. Don't worry, I won't be lazy and say 'he and she got together' and not show any kind of development for the pairing. It's just that with so much new material to develop, I couldn't reveal it all at once here. It's a new Fairy Tail with all the best fighters not frozen in time for seven years. Of course a lot happens to shake up the timeline… But if I make them all OP, there won't be much of a story, because my definition of a 'story' can basically be equated to 'conflict'. On the flipside, if they don't get somewhat powerful, then it'll be boring to read, 'cause it's no different from canon…**

 **So yeah. Gotta find a balance. One of the struggles of being a writer. :D I'll figure stuff out and take it one step at a time. Last note – I did split this main story from the 'Glimpses' fic. That's all that was some days ago. People wanted a split, well, here ya go. :P Tedious editing… But yeah. Thanks for the support! Hoped ya enjoyed it a little.**

 **... But wait. There's more. XD Seeing as how Kjblau was kind enough to give a shoutout, I'll do one in return. Not that my recommendations will come as a surprise to some of you, but... eh. All can be found on my favs list.**

 **Stories (Authors)**

 **A Slayer's Pride (Kjblau) - By far one of my favorite ongoing stories. Heavily inspired this AU, actually. As at least one friend pointed out to me, it does make Natsu somewhat powerful (he said OP, but I debate that a bit...), but as I've also told Kjblau himself, you're basically reshaping the timeline. Of course things aren't going to line up exactly as they were in canon. Natsu being trained by Gildarts? We can debate it back and forth, but I personally think it'd make him a lot stronger than his canon counterpart. So I'm not bothered by that. The Natza buildup is a 'staggering' wait of twenty chapters, though I suppose with how canon has been going it makes me more patient than most people, so again something that I'm not bothered by. Did I mention the plot twists? I'm told this story will have more than a few. XD So yeah. If you're interested in a story where Natsu is trained by Gildarts, on a team with Erza, and stuck in the middle of a 'harem' (main girl: Erza) where the girls bicker over one another (personally, my fav kind of 'harem') for the Dragon Slayer, then this story may be for you...**

 **A Slight Change in Time (NeoShadows) - A crackfic that hasn't been updated for a couple years, but believe me when I say that I'm used to authors who have real life get in the way (oh, how I can relate...). At any rate. It's another squabbling harem fic as Ultear, Meredy, and who-knows-who-else travels back in time when the dragons invade Crocus; Meredy is smitten by the Dragon Slayer, and sends an anonymous love letter to the adorable knucklehead, and of course Natsu has to go to the Guild to ask Erza about it... Beautiful chaos ensues.**

 **A Third Chance (SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan) - A (borderline...?) crackfic where Natsu and Ultear travel back in time with Last Ages to try and change the future from the dragons invading Crocus. Let's just say that with this one, a little bet gets started early on, and that's largely what the story's been about so far... But dangnabit, I like my jollies. XD Updated occasionally. It updated recently, in fact. I'd recommend practically all of this author's FT stories, but that'd be a bit biased in trying to recommend a 'variety' of fanfics for FT...**

 **Cold Tears (Tempest35) - Uh... hehe... Didn't think I'd give another shoutout to this guy, but there ya go. Delightful Natza angst with a (new) tinge of hope toward the very end. Better than her just dwelling on the Blueberry we all don't like being anywhere near our Erza-chan...**

 **Erza's Master Plan (Andril) - Ha~, you didn't think I'd bring up a completed fic, did ya? XD ... Well, Cold Tears _is_ complete. But I digress. _This_ story is essentially Erza wanting to make Jellal jealous, but she winds up falling for the loveable Pyro instead. Ohhh, if only this happened in canon... but no. Erza-chan friendzones Natsu-boy in canon. Bah. :P **

**I think that's all for now. I'll do like five recommendations a chap from now on, but they can all be found in my favs... Well. At least mostly. There might be one or two that I haven't Faved yet. Ja ne!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Point-in-Time: April X791**

* * *

A man with long black hair contentedly slammed his beer mug down on the bar counter and looked around idly with a smirk tugging at his lips. Seven years did wonders for a guy that was once treated warily by his Guildmates. He was still rough around the edges, but that was just his personality. Regaining his S-Class status only made him cockier.

"Oi! Where's Salamander gotten off to? I'd have figured he'd be back here by now and kicking up a storm. Like always." Gajeel Redfox asked no one in particular, though it was Lisanna who answered, since she was minding the bar while her sister was away. Kinana was helping her to wait on tables.

"He got back last night after wrecking Twilight Ogre in Oak Town with Erza and Happy, but then he had to leave with the Master early this morning for a Wizard Saint meeting. Hopefully he'll be back later today." Lisanna mused, tapping her chin. Seven years had been good to her as well, though she still wasn't quite as busty as her sister. That isn't to say Lisanna Strauss didn't have her own cuteness and charm; she even followed in her sister's footsteps and posed for Sorcerer Weekly on a semi-regular basis. Modeling wasn't something Lisanna was gung-ho about, but that didn't mean she was against the shoots either. Jason paid generously, to be fair.

… Not to mention Lisanna fondly remembered having her first magazine sent to Natsu. She never begrudged Erza for marrying the Pyro, but it was still so nice to get a reaction out of her once future hubby. Erza was even kind enough to let him keep it. … Y'know, after going to great lengths to get a similar reaction out of him through the same medium. Ah, memories.

"Small potatoes, eh? Well, it's not like the Balam Alliance is easy to find these days." Gajeel muttered as the youngest Strauss Sibling gave him a refill. Panther Lily strode over in his Chibi form and leaped up to the stool to Gajeel's right.

"It's been that way for the last seven years. We have them on the run, but we must live with the knowledge that they are still out there, and that they could strike at any time." Seven relatively peaceful years hadn't dulled Lily's keen sense for battle. They were one major victory away from a safe and secure Ishgar, but that was just it. 'Almost' only counted in horseshoes. Who knew what Tartaros had in store?

"Aw, I think we'll be okay." Lisanna assured the Exceed as he asked for a beverage. "We've gotten stronger in the meantime, and our bonds both inside and outside the Guild have never been better!"

"Sabertooth's the only Guild that needs to get with the program." Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Though I guess those Dragon Slayers of theirs aren't bad… Cocky sonuvabitches when it comes to those Games, but decent kids otherwise."

"You sure it's them you're worried about?" Lisanna giggled. "Natsu's climbed the ranks in the Wizard Saints. He's even higher than Master now!"

Gajeel twitched at the reminder as Lily chuckled.

"You _know_ that doesn't prove squat. Only reason he got past the Old Man was 'cause Master decided the seventh slot was good enough for him in his old age. He could probably hand Salamander and that Jura guy their asses if they ever sparred."

As Lisanna hummed contently at Gajeel's ill-concealed jealousy, she moved on to prepare drinks and orders for Guildmates filtering into the Hall, and Gajeel grumbled at her amusement. Lily looked up at his partner curiously.

"Still, to attain the fifth rank… He's one step away from becoming one of the Four Gods of Ishgar."

Gajeel grunted sourly.

"One _huge_ step away. Those four ain't human. Five's about as high as he's gonna get." The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked. "'Sides… I stand by what I said about Gramps … And I know Gildarts would still hand him his ass. He's just lucky neither of 'em want the position. If I could get _my_ foot in the door, I'd climb their ranks so fast…"

"Are you sure this isn't about that 'other' Dragon Slayer giving Natsu some one-on-one training…?" Lily sweatdropped as his partner comically spewed flames with a tick mark on his forehead.

"Oh, that is a load of _crap_!" Gajeel roared at the reminder. … Indeed, he _was_ still sore about Salamander getting pointers from _that man_ …

Who wouldn't be jealous about their rival getting help from the strongest Wizard in Ishgar?

* * *

"Well, that was another pointless meeting…" Natsu grumbled as he and Makarov wandered down the hall from the meeting room. "We dunno where Tartaros is hiding. We don't know what Zeref's up too – or Acnologia. And that's like the second or third time they've brought up that Alvarez Empire thing in a while… What's the deal with them, anyway?"

Makarov ran a hand over his head as the Dragon Slayer brought up Alvarez. Truth be told, that had been on his mind, as well. Unlike Natsu, however, the Guild Master knew why they were a looming threat.

"I hope you never have to learn about them in-depth, lad. But… I suppose if you really want to know what makes them dangerous. Do you recall how Phantom Lord used to be considered on par with Fairy Tail?" At the Dragon Slayer's nod, Makarov kept his gaze forward. "Well, just as Fairy Tail has its rivals, the continent of Ishgar is the same way. In this case, our continent's equal is Alvarez. The Western Continent. Ten years ago, they tried to invade and take something of value to us. We repelled them thanks to our four strongest mages and the Council's arsenal of weapons, such as Etherion, but Alvarez was far from beaten. We're locked in a tentative stalemate with them, and _hopefully_ that will be all you need to know. That's just one more reason we are desperate to locate Tartaros; behead the Balam Alliance, and there will be no internal threat to the status quo."

Natsu frowned as he digested this information. Obviously, he was terrible at letting things remain the way they are if they were a threat to his Fairy Tail family… let alone _his_ family – him, Erza, Wendy, Happy, 'n the kids. But even so, Gramps had to have his reasons for not wanting to go to war with Alvarez. Hell, not just Gramps, but all those old fogeys. Even Jura was a bit… wary.

However, before Natsu could pose any questions about Alvarez, he and Makarov were approached by two Saints that were above Natsu in rank – two of the Gods of Ishgar, in other words. Old Man Warrod, and…

"Wassup, Serena!" Natsu greeted with a toothy grin, and Makarov could only shake his head at Natsu's laid back greeting. Only he could manage to talk to their strongest mage as if he were just another ally. But then… Natsu did have an issue with 'decorum'.

"Cheeky bastard…" God Serena smirked at his 'protégé'. In a dramatic flourish, Serena raised his hands to the heavens as a spotlight descended on him. "I am… well!"

 _'Of course, God Serena doesn't exactly make it easy to show him respect…'_ Makarov internally deadpanned. "Greetings, Warrod, God Serena… Will you be whisking Natsu off for some training, then?"

"It takes dedication to mold the Fifth God of Ishgar, but I, God Serena, shall make it so!" Serena dramatically replied, delivering an eccentric one-armed bow. "… I take it you have no objections?"

Makarov opened his mouth to give his consent, but the man slung an arm around a giddy-looking Natsu and guided him away before Makarov could say a word in response.

"I swear, that man presumes too much." The Guild Master grumbled before turning to his senior, who chuckled at the Dragon Slayer's antics.

"Doh, let Serena have his quirks! Your boy has grown in the past few years with his help, correct?" At the elderly Dreyar's nod, Warrod smiled and motioned for Makarov to follow him down another path. "I actually have a proposal I want to run by you, anyway, regarding some sprouts I've been looking after for the past year. They'd lost their way for a while, but they've certainly made progress under my care… I figured, by the end of this year's Games, I could pass them onto you… It's already approved by Crawford Seam, so there's no need to worry about the legality of it."

Makarov sweatdropped as Warrod led with that piece of information. Oh dear. Had his visits to see Precht backfired on him this much? Warrod used to be fine with attending Wizard Saint meetings and otherwise keeping to himself; but ever since reuniting with his old friend, he's been having… ideas. And this one seemed possibly problematic for him…

Well, thank goodness Erza was taking over for him in three months' time.

Meanwhile, God Serena had taken Natsu to the reserved area for the Wizard Saints to train. The same arena where Natsu claimed his Wizard Saint ranking, and where he ascended the ranks. The same room where, not even two years ago, he reached a peak of strength that many Wizards could only dream of attaining, and even then, it was the highest anyone could hope to get. After all… There was no hope of catching up to the four strongest mages in the whole continent.

… Well, that was the mindset of practically everyone that wasn't Natsu Dragneel. And it was that same tenacity that garnered the attention of the most powerful man in Ishgar. A man that turned out to be a Second Generation Dragon Slayer, Natsu came to find out, but not just that. He had a total of _eight_ Dragon Slayer Lacrima implanted in him – how that was possible, the Pyro didn't know, but Serena's power was real. Natsu had gotten a crash course to prove it.

"So, what ya gonna throw at me today?" Natsu bounced on the heels of his feet as he punched his open palm in anticipation.

God Serena smirked as he crossed his arms smugly.

"New element.

Natsu's eyes widened as he knew what the implications of that simple statement were.

"S-Seriously?! You'll let me…?!"

God Serena's smirk never faded.

"For real. You've mastered your own Fire and Lightning Dragon Slayer Magics, and you've taken on my variants on those – Purgatory and Fulmination Dragon Slayer Magics. With three months standing between you and the Games, it is only fair I throw you a bone and grant you a third element. Bask in my generosity!" Serena raised his arms high and tilted his head back eccentrically. Natsu could only sweatdrop and grumble internally about how he had been forced to 'master' his own elements in two years – which frankly didn't take that long, considering the seven years he had prior to that to gain experience through combat.

… Oh well. Like Serena said, he also had Purgatory Dragon Slayer Magic and Fulmination Dragon Slayer Magic under his belt as a result of these two years of 'review', styles which were more intense versions of Fire and Lightning Dragon Slayer Magics, respectively. Though Serena hadn't intended to 'give' those to Natsu in the first place; the Pyro's impatience had gotten him those, and Serena was very interested that Natsu could absorb and retain different Dragon Slayer Magic, despite not having the Lacrimas implanted. It's also true he didn't have any sort of Dragon Slayer Lacrima in him, though; apparently, there was a world of difference between First Generation and Second Generation Dragon Slayers.

"So, what one you gonna throw at me?" Natsu asked animatedly, and his 'teacher' merely spread out his arms generously.

"I will give you the choice between Gale, Cavern, and Sea King Dragon Slayer Magics. I know how you loved the power of the Cavern Dragon Slayer Magic, but I am benevolent and will give you three options!"

Natsu sweatdropped again, but did not put his foot in his mouth. Serena was really being generous for letting him pick any of these up; the man could have dropped him as his 'protégé' at any time, but Serena had kept teaching him. Sure, his motives were self-centered – it was never for one second about making Natsu stronger for the sake of Natsu. Serena was doing it to raise his own reputation; he didn't need to, but clearly Natsu being a Dragon Slayer fascinated him enough to go through with training him.

Frankly, Natsu didn't care if Serena had his own selfish reasons for training him, though. Of course Serena taking all the credit all the damn time grated a bit, but wasn't he kinda being selfish, too? At least insofar as him becoming stronger. Sure, he was doing it to protect his family and friends, but he wasn't trying to benefit Serena in any way.

Dispelling his slightly aggravated thoughts about his mentor, Natsu punched his open palm in anticipation. He had three new kickass elements to choose from and train in for the next three months, and he had a pretty good idea of which one he wanted. Yeah, it went against his nature a bit, but no one would see it coming…

* * *

Back at the Guildhall, a certain Iron Dragon Slayer sneezed raucously, garnering a raised brow from his partner.

"You okay?"

Gajeel rubbed the bottom of his nose with a finger, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah… Just got one of them 'premonitions' is all. Salamander's up to somethin', but it ain't gonna work…" He grumbled sourly. He had a really bad feeling about what Natsu was cooking up this time, so he'd just have to step up his game, too. No doubt the Ice Princess got a similar vibe just now, wherever he was. Chugging down the last of his drink, Gajeel slammed his mug down onto the counter in determination and looked around. "Alright! Where are those guys?! We should be heading out now."

"What's the rush, Gajeel?" Lucy asked, striding up to the Dragon Slayer casually. Seven years had her filled out a little more, though she was still the same Celestial Spirit mage, more or less. The major change for her was that she lived at Fairy Hills now, with the rest of the girls. Years of successful jobs with Team Shadow Gear in conjunction with writing articles about Fairy Tail mages for Jason of Sorcerer Weekly resulted in the young Heartfilia earning a pretty penny that easily dwarfed the rent money she typically owed for the old apartment she used to live in. Aside from that, she was at least on speaking terms with her dad now; though he'd caused trouble for Fairy Tail in trying to 'reclaim' her, it wasn't totally his fault that Phantom Lord had pulled what they did. It helped that he'd gotten a dose of humble pie and lost most of his wealth; as a result, he turned his life around and started making an honest living. Lucy believed he seemed happier this way, too, if not a bit wistful for what he used to have.

Gajeel's lips curled down the slightest amount at Lucy's carefree question. Three months might seem like an eternity, but they'd be gone in the blink of an eye, before they knew it.

"Bunny Girl, it's been at least a week since we took an S-Class Quest. I let you guys have downtime, but now it's time to get back out there. I'm not gonna let Master pass over me for the Games this year just 'cause we've been 'taking it easy'. The Matchstick and Titania are already shoo-ins, and I bet Ice Cube is as well. There's way too much competition for those last two slots…"

Lucy sighed at the Iron Dragon Slayer's prickliness. She knew better than to ask 'that' question; he tried to hide it, but he was a proud member of Team Shadow Gear, through and through. Of course he could go off on S-Class Quests by himself, but he'd found his niche with this team. No, they weren't 'specialized' like Team Crimson Flame, but they were Gajeel's team. What he would argue to be one of the 'four powerhouses' of Fairy Tail – you know, Team Crimson Flame, Team Mira, the Thunder Legion, and then there's Team Shadow Gear.

… Understandably, Lucy didn't think they were on _that_ level of crazy strength, but she'd be lying if she said they weren't awesome. They'd tackled at least one badass mission that none of the other teams would have been able to do. … Y'know, technically. Alright, so they would've been able to handle it, but it was still one that Shadow Gear performed by itself. After getting Gajeel and the Master to open up to them about Gajeel's… secret mission.

The point is, as of seven years ago, there's one less Dark Guild out there to worry about, and it was the one that hadn't joined the Balam Alliance.

"Okay, okay… Go grab an S-Class, and I'll go get Levy and the guys." Lucy released a tiny sigh, and sweatdropped when the Dragon Slayer held up a flier.

"No need. Shrimp just got here with the tagalongs, too." Gajeel spoke with such confidence that Lucy looked around. When she didn't see their friends, she turned back to Gajeel with an annoyed huff, but the Guildhall doors opening stalled any griping.

"Hey, Lu-Lu! Gajeel! You guys ready to go?" Levy waved from the entrance, with Jet and Droy right behind her. Lucy was momentarily caught off-guard that Gajeel had seemingly predicted the trio's arrival, but then she shook her head and smiled wryly. He was a Dragon Slayer – one that could spar with Natsu of all people. Of course his senses were heightened, and only kept improving over the last seven years.

And like always, it was probably Jet and Droy's squabbling over something Levy-related that had tipped the Iron Dragon Slayer off to their arrival. The two were still going at it, after all.

"'Course we're set. Not all of us take an hour to do their hair 'n face." He smirked at the bluenette's indignant squawk and leaned back on the counter casually. Lucy's mouth was now agape, and Jet and Droy were spewing angry, reprimanding rants at him.

"At least I try to be presentable! When was the last time you combed your hair at all?!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes at her typical retort. Like he gave a rat's ass about her interpretation of 'presentable'. That way lied the way of the prissy boy, and Gajeel Redfox was _not_ one of those womanizers from Blue Pegasus.

"Pretty sure I woulda been blacklisted from missions by now if I wasn't 'presentable', Shrimp. And if some complain about my image, what do I care? I'm not out to impress every civilian on the street; you should know that by now."

Levy crossed her arms and looked to the side stubbornly.

"Yeah, well… _You_ should know _some_ people value certain others' opinions above all others… They're not out to impress anybody and everybody." The bluenette grumbled. She abruptly froze when Gajeel got off his stool and strode over to her purposely, and then blushed fiercely when he cupped her chin with one hand.

"Do you really think I need to be impressed by this point, Shrimp? I told ya, I don't care how ya look on the outside. You had the guts to go into somethin' that didn't involve you; not to mention all that progress ya made since that time. Stop your bellyachin'."

Levy made a cute Chibi pouty face before leaning in to peck Gajeel on the lips. Subsequently, this caused Jet and Droy to wail in dismay, Panther Lily to chuckle at the usual antics, and Lucy to twirl a strand of blond hair around her index finger. On the surface, Gajeel and Levy were an unusual couple. One would think that after attempting to attack her, Levy would have avoided him like the plague after he joined Fairy Tail, but she became his biggest supporter. Even that rivalry they had going on Tenrou subsided after Grimoire Heart's attack. It should've picked back up with the do-over for the Trials that year, but instead, it seemed like Levy wanted Gajeel to claim the title, even while she was in the running for it.

Then that incident with Raven Tail happened a couple months after Gajeel made S-Class… It wasn't hard to miss Gajeel becoming distant, and confronting him did no good. Only when Levy approached the Master about his behavior did that yield answers, and even then it took persistent questioning that irked the Old Man. Though he was reluctant to reveal Gajeel's secret mission, he must've felt on some level that Gajeel's idea to attack Raven Tail right before it sprung its own little invasion on Fairy Tail was too foolhardy and reckless. At least, if the Iron Dragon Slayer had done it by himself with no backup. Master Makarov was content to let them be the aggressors, but Gajeel was determined to repay Master for taking a chance with him and letting him join Fairy Tail. He wanted to remove that particular threat to Fairy Tail because he was in a position to do so, and no one else would get hurt if things went south. Apparently, he didn't care too much for his own wellbeing – that, or he was really that cocky… Quite probably both.

… Levy didn't like that. Not one bit. She rallied the team, and they chased after Gajeel, though he was predictably ornery, and refused to let them get involved. If Levy hadn't been half as assertive as she'd been… Well. They'd be short one Dragon Slayer, put bluntly.

* * *

 _Flashback_

"Gajeel… I thought you said Ivan only had three elites!" Jet hissed as the team remained undetected by Raven Tail and observed the five Dark Mages from a distance. Due to Gajeel's counterplanning – specifically, the moment he chose to strike these guys – they were out of time. Raven Tail was en route to Magnolia, and they weren't going to stop unless Team Shadow Gear obstructed their path.

Gajeel's intel indicated that Ivan had three particular elites he was going to ransack Fairy Tail with. There were a number of other less powerful mages that Gajeel was supposed to lead into battle, but the Iron Dragon Slayer and Panther Lily had at least taken care of all of them before focusing on the 'real' threat. Kurohebi, a dark-haired young man who employed a type of Magic known as 'Mimic'. Nullpudding, a purple-skinned man who utilized Needle Magic, which made him akin to a pufferfish. Flare Corona, a woman whose very hair was a deadly weapon. And naturally, 'Master Ivan' himself, a man that used Shikigami Magic.

They speculated that Gajeel was a possible fourth elite to Ivan's squad detail, but here the man was with a mystery player waiting in the wings. He looked to be slightly taller than Ivan Dreyar, dressed in all black, and had blue skin. There was no indication of what kind of Magic he wielded, though there was some kind of small creature perched on his right shoulder. This man was perhaps the most unsettling, due to his eerily blank expression.

"Simmer down, speedster. Ivan seriously didn't tell me about this guy." Gajeel groused. Though it was only one more opponent to deal with, he couldn't help feeling uneasy about the whole situation. If Ivan clammed up about this guy, who was to say there wasn't more he was hiding? Should he really risk Shadow Gear when they possibly didn't hold all the cards? _'… Ah, screw it. I bet Lily could take him, and he's got Shrimp for support if he needs it…'_

"His presence is troubling, but I have little doubt I can strike him down." Panther Lily asserted with confidence with his arms crossed in his tiny form.

"I dunno, you guys… They look kinda… strong…" Lucy trailed off uncertainly, garnering a low growl from their 'leader'.

"Bunny Girl, don't lose yer grip now. This ain't Grimoire Heart we're dealin' with here; it's one decent guy and a few minions he thinks are 'elite'. We can take 'em."

"Yeah, a 'decent guy' that happens to be Master's _son_ …" Jet hissed reprovingly. "I still think we're in over our heads!"

"Yeah! And don't forget if we stick with the strategy, Levy's either gonna take on Ivan with you, or this new guy we don't know anything about!" Droy chipped in, getting Gajeel growl even longer. Of course he knew all that! It was a risk, but there was _five mages left_! They weren't Oracion Seis. Team Shadow Gear could _do this_ …

Unsurprisingly, it was Levy who got everyone off of Gajeel's back.

"I'll be fine!" the bluenette insisted with a determined scowl. She knew Gajeel was determined to see this through, and she wasn't going to let him go into this alone. "Just stick with your opponents, and I'll help Lily! Is that alright with you?"

Levy received a curt nod from the Exceed, and Gajeel punched his open palm in anticipation.

"Then what're we waitin' for?!"

"I don't know, Gajeel, I was hoping you would tell us that."

Team Shadow Gear turned around as a whole, and were shocked to see Raven Tail's elites standing several meters behind them, arranged in a formation that was ready to strike. Gajeel shot a glance back at the original group they'd been spying on, and they dispelled in mere moments. Illusions. They'd been duped. Ivan had been the one to speak condescendingly, and Gajeel _hated_ how so nonchalant he looked about all this, as if he were expecting it.

"Ivan…" Gajeel spat the name. Despite the animosity, the man spread out his arms like this was an innocent encounter. They all knew what this damn well was.

"Imagine my surprise when one of my Shikigami caught wind of your betrayal!" Ivan snidely commented. "I'll admit, the loss of the footsoldiers hurts, but I was sure that your hatred for Fairy Tail rivalled mine! What happened to you, boy? Did their idiotic drivel get to you like it did to my sweet little Laxus? How naïve you turned out to be!"

Gajeel's lips quirked upward wryly at the mention of the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

"Laxus, huh… Real funny you mention your kid, 'cause he's the first guy that ever thrashed me… Jose could sure dish out punishment, but he had nothin' on your kid. And guess who beat Jose?" Gajeel shook his head at the memories. They were physically the most painful times of his life so far, but because of that pain, he managed to turn his life around.

"Then you're even more foolish than I thought! If you can't even match up to Laxus, then you'll be an ant beneath my boot!" Ivan cackled. "Come now, Gajeel, throw yourself at my mercy! We can still crush Fairy Tail together!"

Gajeel's smirk never dropped, even as the man made his 'generous' offer. He supposed the man did have a right to be cocky about his own might; before leaving Fairy Tail, he was an S-Class Wizard of respectable caliber. Even so…

"If you'd gotten to me first after Phantom Lord disbanded, I probably woulda bought your bullshit. But in case you forgot, you didn't leave Fairy Tail willingly, y'know? Your own dad kicked you out 'cause you went against the Guild's ideals." His smirk widened the tiniest amount as he got Ivan to scowl. "I might not be the strongest in Fairy Tail, but I clawed my way back up to S-Class! Far as I'm concerned, we're on equal footing _at the very least_."

Ivan snarled and made an arrogant dismissive wave with his arm.

"Enough of your rubbish! Raven Tail, annihilate these Fairies!" As he barked this, Kurohebi and Nullpudding charged their foes, while Flare's hair began to dance wildly as it moved in to attack.

Jet and Droy moved in to intercept Kurohebi and Nullpudding, while Lucy brought out Cancer to try and deal with Flare's attacks. Panther Lily grew in size, and charged straight for the unidentified mage, who had remained by Ivan's side. In response, Ivan summoned forth a great many Shikigami and had them form a ball that glowed with a purple symbol before detonating just as Lily closed in. Ivan sneered as that seemed to do the Exceed in, but through the smoke he saw another opponent flying toward him… Gajeel.

"Iron Dragon Club!" The Iron Dragon Slayer swung his transformed arm at the raven-haired man, who was unable to dodge and promptly went skidding across the wasteland they were in. Ivan stopped his own momentum and yelled at the mystery mage.

"Drain his Magic, Obra! Every last drop!"

Gajeel whirled around to see the now-identified mage raise his arms in the air, only to be struck fiercely by several bolts of lightning.

"Solid Script: Thunder!" Levy called out, unrelenting in her attack even as the mystery man collapsed and skidded across the ground on his back. Lily, who looked somewhat roughed up, finally emerged from the smoke that came from Ivan's last attack and lunged toward Obra before he could try to get back up.

With Gajeel's momentarily distracted, he sent a flurry of Shikigami the Iron Dragon Slayer's way, surrounding him in a cocoon-like formation before exploding all around him. This greatly worried the Solid Script user, but when the dust settled, Gajeel had donned his Iron Dragon's Scales to weather out the assault.

Across the battlefield, Droy was restraining Nullpudding with his Chain Plant while Capricorn, who had been summoned by Lucy to help him out, pummeled the rotund mage mercilessly. Even as Nullpudding defensively sprouted needles all over his body, the Sea Goat managed to nail him until the man was unconscious.

Jet and Kurohebi were more evenly matched, with the latter mimicking Jet's High Speed Magic, but Loke's timely arrival helped take the Dark Mage down. Cancer had been defeated by Flare rather quickly, and Lucy had had to resort to Urano Metria, a Spell that Loke and Capricorn were helping her to master, to defeat her.

Ivan, for his part, could not believe this ragtag team of Fairies had bested three of his elite squad so swiftly. Obra had managed to incapacitate Lily, making him shrink down to that tiny form again after revealing that he had a sort of absorption Magic in addition to a nullifying one, but the Solid Script user was moving in to assist the Exceed. Seeing a chance to wipe out one of the Fairies, he sent a huge swarm of Shikigami toward Levy, and Gajeel rather predictably moved in to shield her from the ensuing blast.

"You may have skin made of iron, but you cannot keep this up forever…" Ivan sneered as he kept the Shikigami flying at Levy in Gajeel in endless supply. They detonated whenever they got in close, and Ivan could tell through the Shikigami link that the continuous blasts were taking a toll on Gajeel; his comrade was much worse off, collapsed on the ground and injured as she was. It was only a matter of time before Obra nullified Gajeel's Magic, and then Ivan would kill the ungrateful brat…

Which is why Ivan was caught off-guard when Capricorn suddenly appeared at his side and nailed him in the face. With Ivan's focus disrupted, the Shikigami flow stopped, and Gajeel came bursting through the smoke, running at Ivan full tilt. The Dark Mage attempted to intercept his strike, but Gajeel put helluva lot more power behind the first strike than Ivan could predict, and he went careening across the wasteland with the Iron Dragon Slayer in hot pursuit. A few more brutal strikes later, Ivan laid defeated on the ground, as was Obra as he came to find out later. Ivan's secret trump card had been brought down by Loke's Regulus attack, though the small creature that had been perched on his shoulder had mysteriously disappeared…

In the end, Raven Tail was defeated with little difficulty.

 _End Flashback_

* * *

Lucy shook her head and smiled nostalgically. Yeah, that had been around the time that Levy intensified her training. She still wasn't a frontline fighter, per se, but damn if seven years wasn't a significant improvement. Levy knew her limits and her role on the team; she was the tactician, the strategist. Few others in Fairy Tail could hope to match up with her levels of analysis and quick-thinking. Even so, Levy could also join her 'soldiers' out on the battlefield – a fairly important skill, as no strategy lasts contact with the enemy, and a tactician/strategist should be able to adapt for the sake of their comrades.

Obviously, this 'new' Levy intrigued Gajeel. He initially joined Shadow Gear because the Solid Script user was the most welcoming Fairy Tail mage that wasn't Juvia; he wasn't gung-ho about being part of a team that wasn't a bunch of combat specialists, and he'd been idly searching for another team to join up with because of this. But then the anticlimactic 'war' with Raven Tail happened, and Gajeel finally began seeing Shadow Gear as 'his' team. They weren't the Thunder Legion or Team Crimson Flame, but they were _his_. He was still rough around the edges, trained to surpass his rivals, and went off on S-Class Quests as much as he could, but Lucy could just tell he became a lot happier when he accepted this fact.

Similarly, Levy seemed happier with her goal of being able to fight alongside Gajeel. She wasn't just the go-to for translations and books in general anymore – Lucy had seen her approach the likes of Erza and Cana for tips on physical conditioning, and Freed for training on Enchantments. Of course this change in the 'bookworm' had sparked Gajeel's curiosity; relationship-building was slow-going, but seven years was more than enough time for them to get close.

 _'And now they're not afraid of showing public displays of affection…'_ Lucy mused thoughtfully. Sure, Jet and Droy continued to try to win the bluenette's heart, but the Celestial Spirit mage highly doubted they would ever succeed in their endeavors…

"They're adorable!" Erza cooed, startling Lucy by appearing right next to her. The scarlet knight was currently in her white blouse and blue skirt combo while holding her daughter in her arms with a closed-eyes smile.

"Oh, hey, Erza. You sure got back quickly. I figured you and Natsu woulda stayed the night in Oak Town." Lucy muttered before leaning down to Mikoto and greeting her as well.

Erza smiled warmly at the blonde's affection toward her daughter.

"We might have, if Natsu didn't have to get back for the Wizard Saint meeting. Besides, I didn't want to leave Ryo and Mikoto alone for longer than necessary." The scarlet knight smirked slightly as her daughter gleefully began to tug on Lucy's hair like it was a toy. The blonde should have learned by now not to lean in too close… Oh well. "I take it Shadow Gear will be taking off?"

Lucy winced as the three-year-old tugged a little harder than normal, and tried to delicately remove her hair from the child's ironclad grip. She was definitely Natsu and Erza's daughter.

"Y-Yeah… Gajeel's picked out another S-Class… _Owowow_." Lucy briefly redoubled her efforts to free her hair before sighing with relief that the giggling child hadn't yanked out several strands of hair… like she did the last time… "But what about you guys? What's Wendy been up to these days? Or Simon, Kagura, and Meldy?"

The blonde knew better than to bring up _her_. Ultear seemed nice enough to her, but apparently the Arc of Time mage was like a second Mira. Who happened to plant herself on Erza's team. Without her approval, of course.

"We've been well." Simon casually remarked with a smile as he and Meredy made their way over the two. Seven years had done wonders for everyone at Fairy Tail, Simon included. The telepath had finally given into Erza's urging and let Porlyusica give him a new eye, so he no longer wore an eyepatch. What's more, Porlyusica was able to repair most of the damage done to his jaw, so he no longer wore a metal covering to hide what little disfigurement remained. On top of this, he wore pants and a two-sleeved, black and white kimono top that remained open to reveal his well-toned chest, and he kept the turban on his head after all these years.

Beside him, Meredy wore a rather revealing red dress with gold trim that had a deep neckline that exposed her ample cleavage; the skirt was short, and there was a yellow ribbon tied around her waist. She wore dark brown earmuffs, and had grown her pink hair out considerably. All in all, Meredy had matured into a fine young woman, and it was little wonder that Erza tried to pair off the shy-turned-bubbly girl with her dear friend.

"We just heard from Ultear, and she should be back soon to train with us for the Games." Meredy chirped as she looked to Erza with a bright grin. Though Ultear wasn't Erza's most favorite person in the world, she (grudgingly) agreed with Natsu that the Arc of Time mage was a member of Team Crimson Flame. As such, she would be training with them and not Team Mira for the Games. Say what you will about them all being members of Fairy Tail, but there was still a competitive streak between the ace teams of the Guild. This included the Thunder Legion and Team Shadow Gear, as well. Not to mention Cana, Kagura, Milliana, Wally, and Sho were skilled mages in their own right.

Everyone wanted to represent Fairy Tail this year… But going by past years, only five mages from each Guild were allowed to enter. And at the end of the day, it was Master Makarov who got the final say.

"That's good!" Erza remarked with a slightly strained smile. "Wendy went out on a job with Kagura, Carla, and Happy, but I don't expect them to take more than a couple days, and Natsu should get back around the same time… We must prove to Master we are more than capable of taking on the Games this year!"

She declared that last bit with fire in her eyes, and Simon and Meredy could only sweatdrop at her determination. Gajeel, who'd seemingly been preoccupied with Levy, snorted and smirked at the redhead.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to head on out, then. Get a few days' head start on ya." Gajeel chuckled as a tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead and she twitched at him. He motioned for Lucy to follow. "C'mon, Bunny Girl!"

Levy and Lucy both waved at the three members of Team Crimson Flame before following after the boys. Erza eventually shook her head to clear away the agitation, and went to sit at a table to chat with Simon and Meredy, still holding onto her daughter as she did so. She could take some downtime before kicking training into high gear. Really.

… Kami, Erza hoped Natsu and the others would get back soon…

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm a little unhappy with how this came out… But I suppose I've done worse. I was all hyped for creating a filler arc, explaining all the little things that went on in the past seven years… And then I get stumped on Gajeel/Team Shadow Gear,** _ **even though**_ **I had that event planned for them. Taking down Raven Tail.**

 **So… Here's what I'll do to prevent another rut. We'll move past the 'filler', and kinda move straight onto the (tail-end) training for the GMG. And when I say that, I do kinda mean I'll even be glossing over the training somewhat as well. There's just too many characters to 'color in' for the past seven years, and I wanna move onto the GMG. I really do. XD I'll do my best to show how Mira x Freed and Gruvia has progressed, though you might not be too wowed. At least… not by Mira x Freed… I have a plan to make Gruvia feasible (at least to me), but I'm hitting another roadblock on how to show 'real' development for MiFree… Or whatever you wanna call that ship. lol**

 **In the month it's taken me to update this, I thought up a 'replacement team' for Raven Tail, since they were taken out early. … And I sort of hinted at them in this chapter. Hmm. I wonder who Warrod was referencing by 'sprouts who lost their way'. XD Ah, but it felt good to be hit by that idea. I also solved the dilemma of what to do with Mermaid Heel, since Kagura and Milliana aren't members; you'll just hafta see who I've filled their slots with in the GMG. Pretty unconventional choices, but it keeps things interesting.**

 **There's been a lot going on in the manga since I last updated this… I'll say it right now – I was ecstatic when my theory about August was correct, but then it just felt like I was shot down when his potential was wasted a few days later… Great scene with him popping up behind Mavis, but beyond that… Ugh. Such a waste of the 'Magic King'. I'll see what I can do to rectify that, when we get to Alvarez… Hope you enjoyed this chap a little.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Point-in-Time: April-July X791**

* * *

The former Grimoire Heart airship… Its movement through the sky is ever-silent as it returns home to Magnolia. Currently, there were only seven mages aboard the ship, and three of them were gathered in the observation deck, where a throne sat toward the back and was casually occupied by one Ultear Milkovich. Seven years failed to diminish her alluring beauty. Her silky dark hair maintained its usual length, but now she wears a tabard-like garment that exposes her back, revealing a Fairy Tail symbol and an x-mark where her Grimoire Heart symbol used to be located. She also wore long black boots that left her upper thighs bare, a lacy white headband, and the only other change was that she wore no lipstick.

Ultear bore a dull expression as she observed the Lacrima orb in her outstretched palm. It replayed images of the devastated Dark Guild they had been sent to spy on.

"Another dead end…" The Arc of Time user murmured. She'd had a relatively good feeling about Succubus Eye being the best lead they had on Tartaros in a long time, but when they got there… Well. The Dark Mages had been reduced to strange black figures, and their base in shambles. Ultear very much doubted that had been the work of any official Guild, yet that begged the question… Was Tartaros responsible? Did they silence Succubus Eye for making too much noise?

Whoever was responsible, they left no clues behind.

"I wasn't exactly expectin' the find of the century." A man muttered from his place over by the windows looking out at the skies around them. He was in a white trench coat and black pants, and he had mild spiky black hair. Little has changed for Gray Fullbuster physically over the past seven years; though his body has matured, grown stronger, and gained some scars from the high-ranked missions he's undertaken, he's maintained that slim, toned figure. Gray glanced back at Ultear and flashed her a wry smirk. "They seemed like more bark than bite, from what the rumors were saying. Troublemakers, but smalltime ones."

"Still… They were the only solid lead we had for quite some time…" A woman with long, flowing blue hair in a knee-high dress coat of varying shades of blue and garnished by fur trimmings around the sleeves and neck mused as she tapped her chin. She wore a brown belt around her waist, dark brown boots that went up to her thighs, and a gold flower clipping on her fur-trimmed Cossack hat. Similar to everyone in Fairy Tail, the last seven years had been kind to Juvia Lockser, merely enhancing her innate beauty. "Any information at all would be welcome at this point…"

Gray's eyes drifted to Juvia before looking back out the window, hands stuffed in his coat pockets.

"I get what you're sayin'. It's not like we shoulda let these guys be, anyway… I just wasn't expecting any huge breakthroughs." The Ice Make mage reasoned.

Ultear glanced at the orb's images for a few more moments before willing it to disappear in a flash. Then, she stood up and lazily stretched, motions that soon became exaggerated as she teasingly turned them into sexy poses while Gray's back was to her. The Arc of Time mage winked at the bluenette, who to her credit kept her agitated response to some mild steam coming off her body in silent anger.

"Well, perhaps the Games will turn something up. We've yet to work out who or what is giving off that signature very reminiscent of Zeref, in recent years." Ultear mused as she placed a hand on her hip. Though his attention remained focused on the view outside, Ultear could tell from his tone of voice that a cocky smirk was tugging on Gray's lips.

"We do gotta find out what that is, but I'm gonna make sure we beat the pants off of Sabertooth this year. They've been riding the high of bein' declared the 'Top Guild in Fiore' the past couple years, and I'm not gonna stand for it anymore!" Though he didn't voice it out loud, Gray was also thinking about Lyon, and how his Guild – Lamia Scale – was another contender, since they had Jura, the Sixth Wizard Saint.

Stars appeared in Juvia's eyes at Gray's bold declaration, while Ultear smirked knowingly at her, as if waiting for her to make a slipup… And it was because Ultear shot her **That Look** that Juvia calmed herself down and cleared her throat.

"Juvia agrees! If Juvia is chosen to represent the Guild, she will help lead the team to victory!" The bluenette tensed slightly as Gray turned his head to look at her again. Years of Ultear helping her to suppress her overbearing fangirlism had been grueling, for both the Arc of Time user and the Water mage. Juvia was a passionate woman by nature, and she still loved Gray very much, but it was that very obsessive attitude that drove Gray up a wall.

So… Ultear offered to help the Water mage overcome that problem. It by no means guaranteed Gray would fall for Juvia, but Ultear knew the type of man Gray was all too well – mature, serious, level-headed… Funnily enough, he was none of these things when he got into it with Natsu, but that was about the only time he wasn't 'himself', per se… Much like herself, Gray had ghosts from his past that haunted him, and there was no denying he felt some level of attraction toward her as she was the daughter of Ur. Because of that, Ultear idly speculated he was interested in older women due to his mature nature. Nevertheless, if Juvia's chances at winning Gray's heart were nil, the Ice Make mage would have gone to greater lengths to 'reject' her. He turned down her proposals for dates, and was weirded out by her constantly presenting food to him, but from the time that Ultear joined the Guild, she could tell that he at the very least saw her as a friend. A teammate, a valuable member of his Fairy Tail family, whatever description you want to use. If she'd kept doing the same old, same old, Juvia's chances of winning Gray's affections were slim at best, but Ultear had gotten to her fairly early on in her "relationship" with Gray, so there had been time to salvage the situation.

… Of course Juvia was suspicious at first. With a sexy figure and flirtatious attitude like Ultear's, who wouldn't be? Yet with Ultear's guidance, Juvia saw results fairly quickly. Instead of pursuing an intimate relationship right off the bat, Juvia took things _slow_. Befriending the Ice Wizard first. And while she did that, she worked on refining her Water Magic. Not for the sake of impressing her Gray-sama – though that was certainly happening, as her progress skyrocketed and he took notice – but for the purpose that many a Fairy Tail Wizard shared. To get stronger to protect her Fairy Tail family, and for her, especially Gajeel, Meldy, and those on Team Mira. Though Juvia hadn't lost any love for Gray, it'd gotten to the point that her mind wasn't stuck on the Ice Wizard every waking moment. She still liked to dwell on him, but by being far less forward than she was before, Gray wasn't so opposed to getting to know her better, on the surface or otherwise.

And really, Juvia was happier this way. She still valued his opinion very much, but by building a rapport with her Guildmates, she found herself less depressed when Gray turned her down for something. She wasn't relying on his acknowledgement like a crutch for confidence in her abilities; it was fantastic to receive, but she was confident as-is. Counting the Master, she was one of the fifteen S-Class mages of Fairy Tail. Juvia could proudly stand on her own two feet, and unlike when she was in Phantom, she wasn't alone, nor did she make her peers shoulder the weight of watching over the Guild alone. Everyone experienced weakness at some point or another, and Fairy Tail's unity was what made it a contender for the strongest Guild in Fiore.

"… Yeah." Gray eventually replied, a small smirk playing on his lips. He might've been an 'unofficial' Wizard Saint like his former Master was, but if Juvia got picked over him, he'd live with it. Juvia was one of the strongest mages he knew; to say she'd 'mastered' her element would be underselling it. She might as well be the living embodiment of water, being able to change her fighting style on a dime, and able to summon _huge_ amounts of water, if she needed to. Juvia could do so much with her element, not unlike his own Ice Make Magic.

Ultear gave a wily smirk as she watched Juvia remain composed even in the face of that 'cool' one-word response. Just because she made a lot of progress didn't mean Juvia still didn't swoon over any sort of acknowledgement from Gray.

"Alright, lovebirds, break it up. We're approaching Magnolia."

Steam erupted from Juvia's ears, and Gray looked out the window to find that, indeed, Kardia Cathedral was a dot on the horizon. They'd finally returned.

 _'Ya get that, Warren?'_ The Ice mage called out mentally, as he knew the telepath had a link between all of them still set up.

 _'Heard you loud and clear. We're already making preparations for landing.'_ Warren's voice rang out through the link. Gray's expression turned dry at hearing that.

 _'Which is to say… you and Bickslow are doing all the work.'_

 _'Pretty much.'_ Came Warren's sheepish reply. Gray sighed and shook his head as their "mission leader" was evidently off cavorting with her fiancé… again… Mirajane enthusiastically took up the mantle of leader when they were out there trying to gather intel, but as soon as they were back on the ship and headed home… Well. She just 'delegated' the task of overseer to Ultear, since this was once Grimoire Heart's airship.

Not that Ultear had much to do, either. You might think they needed a whole crew of workers to run the ship right, like Grimoire Heart had all those grunts, but between Freed, Bickslow, Warren, and Ultear, they had everything adequately covered. Gray, Juvia, and Mira were backup crew if anything ever malfunctioned or broke, but that was a rare occurrence after seven years of revamping the ship.

 _'Need some extra hands?'_ Gray offered out of sympathy, though he apparently had no need to as Freed chimed in through the link.

 _'There will be no need. Mirajane and I will be with you shortly, Warren. Maintaining the ship takes precedence over anything else...'_

The trio on the observation deck sweatdropped as Mira could be heard moaning dejectedly. Somebody apparently didn't want to stop… whatever they were doing. Gray valiantly prevented his mind from dwelling on the perverted implications, while Juvia sympathized with Mira and longed for the day she could share such intimacy with Gray.

Ultear… rolled her eyes. She had no need to worry about 'implications' or 'sympathy', for she had the engaged couple under surveillance, and could rewatch every kinky moment if she so desired. Arc of Time was so useful.

… Don't you judge her.

"I take it you'll be gettin' back to Flamebrain 'n Erza's team, once we get back?" Gray asked the dark-haired woman as he lazily turned back around to face her. The Arc of Time mage grinned mischievously at the inquiry.

"That _is_ the plan. Unless… My little otouto wants to spend more time with his neechan…?" Ultear teased with a wink.

"As if." Gray scoffed. "I get enough of that with Mira; I don't need two 'neechans'. Just figured you guys might want to call a truce and train with us 'til the Games."

Ultear stuck out her lower lip and gave her best puppy dog eyes, which still had a significant impact on the Ice Make mage to this day.

"You would choose the Demon to be your neechan over me…?"

Gray spluttered in embarrassment at being on the receiving end of that look again. Ultear really knew how to get under his skin the best, which was both like and unlike her mother at the same time. Yeah, Ur teased him, but she was reasonable about it. She knew when to stop. Ultear was just a nonstop, merciless tease. And she loved every moment of it.

In his embarrassed state, Gray missed the small tick mark appearing on Juvia's temple and the slight twitch in her eye. Ultear didn't, though, and winked at the Water mage, feeling a bit proud Juvia was containing herself

"Would ya stop that?! It's nothing personal, Mira just kinda filled that role way before you got here." By forcing him onto her team and traumatizing him to get his cooperation in competing with Erza and Flamebrain. Why would he want a second 'sister' that he _knew_ would roughly be the same?

Ultear hummed thoughtfully before nodding sagely.

"In any case, Erza's decided we'll be training on our own. You know all too well how she and Mira get." She grinned as the Ice Make mage sighed resignedly. Training would likely be hell for him, but it wasn't as if she was without mercy. "That said, you're still welcome to join us at Akane for the first few days. I hear Team Shadow Gear, Alberona, and Simon's friends will be there."

All part of a goodwill gesture, really. Just because the teams would be competing for those five slots didn't mean they couldn't wish each other good luck before diving right into it.

"Yeah… We'll be there." Gray grumbled. He then blinked and partly corrected himself. "Well… Me 'n Juvia, at least. Maybe Lisanna and Elfman, if Mira doesn't rope them into trainin' early or somethin'."

Juvia's eyes sparkled at the reminder of the get-together. It'd been far too long since she spent any time with Meldy – well, for her, anyway. And of course Gajeel would be there…

And whilst Juvia got lost in her daydreams of being at the beach, the airship soared across Magnolia and finally arrived at the Guildhall… The next day, they'd all be at Akane.

* * *

"Three months until the Games begin… So we've decided to have a training camp at the beach!" Lucy exclaimed as Team Shadow Gear arrived in beach gear; Team Crimson Flame was already there, and Happy tilted his head the bikini-clad blonde.

"Ya still bein' a weirdo and providing narration, Lucy?" Happy giggled as the Celestial Wizard twitched violently at him.

"Cat…!" The blonde growled and made strangling motions at the tomcat, but was halted by a certain bikini-clad scarlet knight, who was flanked by her two children.

"Lucy… I hope we don't have to have another chat…" The redhead trailed off ominously, and the Celestial Wizard was properly cowed into behaving.

"A-Aye, ma'am…" Lucy hung her head and sighed. Levy patted her shoulder consolingly, while Gajeel moved toward Natsu.

"Oi, Salamander! How about a 'spar' to kill some time?" The Iron Dragon Slayer pounded his open palm with a smug grin. A "spar" being the last thing on his mind; it'd been a while since he and the Pyro had cut loose.

Natsu perked up at the notion of a good scrap, but just as he raised a flaming fist in acceptance, he felt a firm swordswoman's hand on his shoulder, which produced a slight cracking from the pressure applied. Natsu instantly deflated and hung his head in disappointment. Gajeel cackled at the Pyro giving up so easily, but then Kagura turned her steely gaze on him, and the Iron Dragon Slayer subsequently capitulated.

"Che…" Gajeel grunted and averted his gaze.

"M-Maybe some light training wouldn't be so bad…" Wendy Marvell shyly spoke up from her place over by Simon and Meredy. Seven years had resulted in some fairly drastic changes for the Sky Dragon Slayer; she was taller and had more curves, her hair had grown out more, and even her chest had blossomed into that of a young woman's. True, her chest still wasn't on par with the likes of Erza's, Mira's, or Lucy's, but she matured much like Meldy did.

She didn't have to complain about boob size anymore.

"There's plenty of time for training! It's important to balance work and pleasure." Erza reasoned. She then assumed a Chibi form and hopped in the ocean. "We'll play hard, eat hard, sleep hard!"

As she mimicked an action for each of those, Jet and Droy sweatdropped, while the Iron Dragon Slayer griped under his breath about wasting more time. Ryo and Mikoto seemed amused with their mother's antics, at least. A short time later, all the members of the Thunder Legion and Team Mira arrived, and the Ice mage locked eyes with his rival, sparking a race to the ocean that Gajeel joined in on, because why the hell not?

"THE OCEAN!" Natsu roared.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Gray added, somehow keeping pace with the two Dragon Slayers.

"Swimming Contest!"

"Sandcastle Contest!"

"Eating Contest!"

"Suntan Contest!"

After they went through a montage of these various competitions, Natsu rubbed his head, Gray stretched, and Gajeel scratched his back.

"Well, that was fun… I'm ready for a nap." Natsu muttered. His two rivals nodding their heads at the same time. From behind a tree, Juvia lightly blushed as she watched the trio, particularly the Ice mage.

"My Beloved looks so handsome with a tan…" She whispered reverently. The Water mage could afford to let a little of her old self seep through, since Ultear was busy with a little competition of her own, initiated by the pompous Evergreen and issued to Erza and Mirajane, as well. It ultimately boiled down to a Swimsuit Contest, with the judges being Bickslow, Freed, Elfman, Jet, and Droy. Wendy, Lisanna, Levy, and Lucy watched from the sidelines, trying to show support to all the contestants while also trying not to feel inadequate themselves.

… Laxus wanted no part of it, and opted to lounge in a hammock set up between two palm trees. Seven years hadn't changed him all that much physically, but in terms of his skills as a Wizard, well… To put it bluntly, he'd repeatedly been offered to join the ranks of the Wizard Saints. Even his Grandfather was on his case about it, and the Lightning Dragon Slayer still turned the opportunity down. It had nothing to do with shattered pride, or a disinterest in the position; Laxus knew he could stand among the Ten. Hell, he speculated he was on equal footing with Jura Neekis. The problem lied in a certain apocalyptic dragon that had dropped off the map. Seven years ago… he'd never felt so powerless. Acnologia made Hades seem like a common thug; the sheer power the black dragon radiated… it was unreal.

Laxus wasn't so foolhardy that he would go hunting for Acnologia – even after seven years of intense training, he suspected he wasn't _any_ closer to defeating that monster by his own power. Even so… Laxus was determined to bring it down, and that's why he didn't take up the Wizard Saint title – he didn't want anything to distract him from his target. Dragons fell within the purview of Dragon Slayers; Fairy Tail had four, three of which were S-Class. If they couldn't match up to that beast now… They were screwed, pure and simple. Acnologia could pop back up at any time and annihilate them. Laxus knew of no other dragons that were alive to this day, so it fell to them to destroy the abomination; if he couldn't have faith in his power in conjunction with Natsu's, Gajeel's, and Wendy's… the alternative was grim. They _had_ to be strong enough. For their Guild and all of Fiore.

"Quit it with that face already, you're bummin' me out!"

Having been previously staring up at the sky listlessly, his arms propped behind his head, Laxus's eyes panned over to find the resident drunk of Fairy Tail shooting him an annoyed stare while she chugged a bottle of alcohol. Cana was in a racy bikini like most of the other girls were, and seven years had done nothing to diminish her beauty… even with her high alcohol intake.

"Oh, so you guys finally made it." The blond muttered as he spied Sho, Wally, and Milliana over by Simon, Meredy, Kagura, and Natsu's kids. Seemed like the gang was all here.

"Yeah, so what's with the serious face? We got three months 'til we kick ass and take names. Let's _party_!" The brunette hollered at the top of her lungs, making the Lightning Dragon Slayer roll his eyes. Cana really was Gildarts' flesh and blood – the boisterous attitude, alcohol obsession, and even her pervy antics were dead giveaways.

… Which makes it kinda sad that it had be spelled out for everyone.

"Nothin's up. My mind wandered a bit, that's all." Laxus muttered in reply. He wasn't too surprised that Cana looked skeptical; it's not like his mind wandered to a "good" place.

"You need to lighten up!" Cana reiterated, having a pretty good idea of what Laxus was obsessing over. The same old-same old he'd been obsessing over for seven years straight… "We all live life to its fullest; if we were all to die tomorrow, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have regrets, 'cause we'd die trying to take that thing down together. But I bet we wouldn't die! We all got way strong since that day. No way an overgrown lizard's gonna get the best of us."

The Lightning Dragon Slayer knew Cana was right, of course. Stressing over even something like this wasn't good for him; he wanted to protect everyone as best as he could, but it's not like he could stop everyone from trying to protect him, when the time came. If they died, it'd be in a blaze of glory – though like Cana said, they'd trained like hell. That was enough. He couldn't start doubting now, or the battle would be over before it began.

"… I suppose you have a point." Laxus closed his eyes and smirked wryly, looking back up at the sky. Instead of stressing over the enemy to come, he'd go back to focusing on the challenges right in front of them. Like winning the Grand Magic Games.

"Now that that's settled… How about a drink…?"

Laxus sighed breezily as he felt a bottle pressed into his abs. Aaand they were back to this. Cana trying to get him sloshed, him slipping through her fingers. He bet Jura never had to put up with crap like this…

* * *

"You kids have no shame! That's the only explanation! Why else would you be content with Third Place every year?!" An old woman with her hair in a triple-layered bun howled as she spun her fists around one another, a scowl marring her face as well. This is Ooba Babasaama, Lamia Scale's wise and wild Master. Ooba started to spin around on her heels as her Guild looked on wryly. "We may have been fun and games before, but not this time, you hear me?! I'm gonna whip you ankle-biters into shape!"

Toby massaged his temple and sighed in annoyance.

"Shaddup, Ooba!"

Yuka crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Can't call it a day without the Old Hag going senile…"

Ooba ceased twirling about and pointed at Lyon, Sherry, and Jura while spinning that hand around.

"Lyon and Jura, I want you two in the Games this year!"

Lyon smirked in light amusement.

"Alright… the Hag says, 'Jump,' we jump."

"Well, the festival should be a nice distraction, if nothing else." Jura mused thoughtfully. This prompted cheers from the other Lamia Scale members.

"If Lyon and Jura enter, we're sure to win!"

"Awesome! I can already taste victory!"

"Look out, Fiore, we're out for #1!"

* * *

… Yep. Jura must've had blissful normality in the Lamia Scale Guild. That was the story, and Laxus was sticking to it.

While Laxus continued on in his sweet, sweet denial – and a drunken Cards mage tried to egg him into having a drink or a dozen… - the former members of Team Jellal, Kagura, and Meredy were taking the time to catch up. Natsu had taken Ryo and Mikoto off their hands, since Erza was still caught up in that Swimsuit Competition, and the three of them were currently… building a sand fortress. A bigass, life-sized one.

Yeah. Natsu didn't do anything by halves, and it seemed like Kagura was painstakingly holding herself back from swooping in and spiriting Mikoto away to play with her. She really was a mini-Erza… with Natsu's personality…

 _So cute_.

"Meow! Pwecious kitty-witties!" Milliana crouched down and smushed the trio of Exceeds to her face affectionately.

Of course Happy, Carla, and Panther Lily voiced their displeasure at being subjected to this crazy cat fanatic again, but they didn't dare struggle to escape her ironclad embrace. Milliana had experience with kitty-witties that played "hard to get", after all, and she had ways of making them hers. Aaall hers.

"So how ya been, Simon? Haven't seen you around the Guild much." Wally mused as he stared at his longtime friend and the Maguilty user that was leaning into him affectionately. It was still kinda surreal to see Simon had moved on from his crush on Erza… Sure, he kinda had to with Erza's marriage to Salamander, but ya couldn't help feeling a little bad for the guy… at least before Meldy entered the picture. And even then, it took some months to get acquainted and used to going on Quests with one another. It wasn't anything like Juvia instantly falling for Gray, or even Erza taking a liking to Natsu's determination after a year of being in the same Guild. They were strangers that only met because of Natsu and Ultear associating with one another after Tenrou; Simon was understanding of her shyness to associate with anyone from the Guild so soon after attempting to destroy them, and he'd resolved to be amicable and not be too forward, like Natsu would and, in fact, did. If she wanted to be friends, he wouldn't object; but he also wouldn't force the issue. Only after Juvia and Erza gave a rather compelling character reference did the Maguilty user look at Simon with new eyes, and at the same time kinda feel ashamed she'd been so slow to warm up to him.

Meldy quickly learned there was a looot to love about Simon. He was too kind and understanding for his own good, but it wasn't naiveté on his part. Simon knew about the darkness that could lurk in people; he wielded that physical element, after all. He knew that people could control it and keep it at bay, just as much as they could allow it to overwhelm them. Simon believed she deserved a second chance, just like he and his friends had received, after serving Jellal.

"Just been out on a lot of jobs. If it's not with Kagura, Natsu and Erza will usually have something in mind… And when none of them are around, Meldy drags me out on an S-Class Quest." Simon cleared his head of thoughts on the past and answered Wally's query. He smiled as the pink-head stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Even though I'm not S-Class, Master lets me take them on if they're not too overwhelming. I _was_ one of the Seven Kin, and Simon's S-Class in all but name." Meredy chimed in. She knew Simon didn't think he was on that level, but she had a healthy respect for his overall prowess. Master Precht's old archive had been harvested from the airship and added to Fairy Tail's personal library, and through it, Simon was able to pick up a few new tricks. Before, his Magic centered around using the obscuring effected of darkness and shadows, but now he was capable of manipulating shadows, using them to ensnare enemies and hold them in place for beatdowns or interrogation. And that was just one example; he could also manipulate shadows to catch falling objects or even people, if he had the strength to catch them. Simon was growing in leaps and bounds, and he still felt like a Support Magic user.

Well, Meredy believed in him, and so did the other members of Team Crimson Flame. They both had abilities that could connect people – Simon his telepathy, and Meredy her Maguilty Sense. It was little wonder they meshed so well.

"How about you, Wally?" Simon asked with a shake of his head and a wry smile. He wasn't going to debate with them here; he had his own ideas for what the S-Class rank meant, and that's just why he felt like he wasn't at that level yet. Blame his admiration for Erza and Natsu, if you must. "I hear you might have another movie lined up."

That had been one of the major things going on with Wally; he took pride in being a sharpshooter, but after becoming fairly well-known as a Fairy Tail Wizard, the film industry started to become taken with him. Ironic, really, considering he fashioned his appearance and mannerisms after having watched an edgy Western movie in their youth, and all those films that followed.

"Heh, yeah…" Wally tipped his hat with a sheepish grin. Honestly, being on the 'other side' of the big screen wasn't as glamorous, but he wasn't doing it for himself, y'know? Not everyone cares about movies, but for those that do… for those who find enjoyment… for those who aspired to be cool, edgy characters... Wally did it for them, kids especially. Salamander 'n Erza had their own ways of inspiring people, and Wally had his. He still took pride in being a mage, at the end of the day.

Milliana perked up a bit at Simon bringing that up.

"Meow! Wally's pretty popular at that studio. I think there's at least three directors asking him to be a part of their movies." Milliana happily supplied for Simon's curiosity – though now Wally looked like he wanted to sink into the sand in embarrassment.

"It's smalltime stuff! N-Not like I'm on screens all across Fiore or nothin'. I'm not _that_ big." Wally was quick to correct; now he kinda had an idea what Simon felt like with being touted as an S-Class level Wizard all the time.

Sho, Meredy, and Milliana smiled, while Simon laughed softly. Kagura turned to Sho, in an attempt to tear her eyes away from Natsu and his kids, who were making incredible progress on the sand fortress in such little time. The longer she stared, the more she wanted to jump in and help… She had to retain _some_ dignity, having spent so much time around Mikoto.

"How about you, Sho?"

"Still helping Cana with the fortunetelling business, and all the other jobs she wants to go on." Sho sheepishly responded. The brunette had greatly expanded his skillset, to the point he could wield many of the kinds of Card Magic that Cana could. … Though this did not come without some haggling. Sho _also_ had to pick up fortunetelling so that Cana could make booze money at twice the rate with him taking customers, too. As compensation, she passed on her various styles; and really, it was only fair since he'd passed on the only kind of Card Magic he knew how to use, previously. It all balanced out. "How've you been doing, Kagura?"

Kagura slightly tensed up at this. She'd been well, of course, but there was that mission she'd taken with Wendy recently… One that _oh-so-happened_ to lead them to run into **him**. He was doubtless back to his suave, womanizing self, like the pervert he was… Little wonder her neechan disliked him with such intensity.

* * *

The leader of the infamous Trimens sneezed as he sensed someone thinking about him. Doubtless, it was someone with a breathtaking, intoxicating Parfum!

"So, did you hear…? The Hag decided to toss the Wizard Saint Jura into the Grand Magic Games this year…" Master Bob of Blue Pegasus leaned on the counter as he gossiped with Ichiya, who idly swirled his shot glass of wine around.

"Man, that reeks of a distressing Parfum…"

"It throws a nasty little wrench into our plans to win, that's for sure…"

"Well, then… How about we throw our own little wrench in return…?" Ichiya asked with a smug little grin. Master Bob stared at him in slight disbelief.

"Tell me you're not cereal, hon…"

"Super cereal. There's a dangerous Parfum clouding the Games, we should go and sniff it out!" Ichiya chuckled.

* * *

Kagura could not stop the shivering that ran up her spine. Yes, she would most certainly dish out the beatdown **that man** deserved, if she was nominated for the Games. And if not, she would be sure to order Natsu to do it. If she worded it right, he wouldn't ask any questions.

The swordswoman was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the all-too-familiar sounds of a brawl that was just about to begin. She was more than relieved to see that it wasn't Natsu; and it wasn't Gajeel, who was chatting up Laxus and Cana. No… the source of conflict stemmed from the main group of their party… specifically, Elfman was being pressured from (mostly) two sides. Apparently, it fell to him to declare the winner of the current round of the Swimsuit Contest… Every other judge had settled on a different candidate – Bickslow, Evergreen; Freed, Mira; Jet, Ultear; Droy, Erza.

Elfman had to be the tie-breaker.

"Elfman… I hope you are keeping your loyalty to your sister in mind." Freed declared with a threatening undertone, his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"Loyalty to a sister is one thing, but you have _another_ obligation, don't you…?" Elfman didn't like the aura Evergreen was radiating. It promised **Pain**.

"Elfman!" Freed pressed with a grave expression.

"Elfman…" Evergreen growled.

"Elfman!"

"Elfman…"

"Elfman!"

" _Elfman_ …"

Ultear smirked as the middle Strauss sibling looked to be on the verge of a breakdown. Highly amusing. About the only thing missing was Natsu; even if he'd just been sitting on the sidelines watching all of this, it would have been a perfect opportunity to tease him with her eye-candy body. Maximum amusement would have been him involved as a judge, but we don't get all that we want…

Getting fed-up with the lull in this round, Erza growled and spread out her arms.

"Nakagami Armor REQUIP!" Erza roared before donning one of her strongest Armors that she'd acquired in the last seven years, with Levy's help in looking for it. With it, she would render the rest of the competition unconscious and be declared winner by default.

This was Erza's logic, and she was sticking to it.

"Like _hell_ …" Mira growled before assuming her Sitri form. If Erza wanted to turn this into _that_ kind of contest, she was _all too happy_ to oblige.

By this point, Evergreen respectfully bowed out of the competition. She wasn't weak, but these two had only reached even more insane levels of strength in the last seven years. Evergreen was _not_ going to subject herself to a sound thrashing, thank you very much.

As for Ultear… she let the two Eternal Rivals duke it out and sidled over to the Fire Dragon Slayer. This whole expedition was supposed to be about having fun; Laxus had his hammock, Cana had her booze, Erza had her rival to throttle, and yes, Ultear had a dense, destructive, lovable Pyro to tease mercilessly. You see? It all worked out.

The day continued on in true Fairy Tail fashion, with the beach erupting into a warzone after Elfman, Freed, and Bickslow drew in Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu with their brawl. Unsurprisingly, Loke showed up to fight for Lucy's honor, and it was all just glorious chaos, really. Ryo and Mikoto cheering their parents on; Kagura, Wendy, Lisanna, and the Exceeds trying to keep them safe; Levy and Lucy hoping the resort wouldn't sue them for damages… Yep. Glorious pandemonium. But a couple days later, they'd all go their separate ways amicably and train hard for the real competition to come.

* * *

 _Three months later…_

The Guildhall was packed with most of the mages having returned for the momentous day. The air was charged and brimming with anticipation, and Fairy Tail's Third Master finally took to the stage once a few stragglers entered the hall.

"Listen up, kids! It's time to announce the five that will be representing us in the Grand Magic Games!" Makarov formally announced as every member present gathered in the Guildhall and waited with bated breath. The Guild Master cleared his throat once more. "Natsu…"

"Oh yeah!" Natsu pumped his fist in excitement.

"Gray!"

Gray slouched in his standing position and nodded his head.

"I'm honored."

"Erza!"

"I won't let you down!" The scarlet knight assured her predecessor, her arms crossed in front of her. Mira tilted her head and giggled as everyone else pretty much rolled their eyes.

"Of course! Those three were kind of a shoo-in for the team!"

"Who will get the last two spots?" Lisanna asked the question on everyone's mind.

"We're gonna need a Real Man to represent our Guild!" Elfman heartily proclaimed.

Juvia, meanwhile, wailed internally.

 _'Please… Please pick me…!'_

"And the remaining two will be…" Makarov trailed off dramatically. "Cana and Freed!"

Elfman bawled at being passed over, while a number of others slumped and groaned as well. Cana pumped her fist in the air, and chugged a bottle of wine to celebrate while others congratulated her. Freed was more composed in hearing his nomination, respectfully bowing to Makarov.

"I won't let you down, sir!" Naturally, he wondered what was keeping Laxus, but if the Master ordained that he would be one of the Guild's representatives… Well, he couldn't really refuse.

Makarov merely smiled proudly and waved off the respectful gesture. He turned his attention to Erza when she took a step toward him with a raised brow.

"While I do not doubt their skills, Master, what of Laxus and Gajeel? Have they not yet returned?"

Makarov slowly shook his head.

"They have not. And even if they had, I would stand by my decision. Your competition will be expecting such a selection, and my intention is to… throw them off." Makarov heartily chuckled before nodding his head sagely with closed eyes. "Hehe. Crocus won't know what hit it. That thirty million Jewel reward will be ours for the taking!"

You could swear it was choreographed as the entire Guild sweatdropped at their Master's obsession with that reward, but who could blame him? With the (sometimes) wanton destruction they brought about anywhere and everywhere, money was always welcome in the Guild's coffers.

… If only they knew the lengths Makarov was going to go to get that prize. This year would have a unique twist to the Games, and the Third Master was going to take _every_ opportunity to get a leg up on their rivals.

 _'Ohohoho… Jiemma, just you wait…'_

* * *

"So, word on the street is, Natsu Dragneel's definitely gonna be participating in the Games this year!" A red Exceed in a blue vest announced to two young men, who bore the mark of Sabertooth. There was also a green Exceed in a pink frog costume standing right by him, having gone to hear the buzz going around town as well.

The dark-haired youth scoffed dryly at the news.

"That is hardly a surprise. Natsu is one of their top-tiered members, and he's participated almost every year."

The blond next to him snickered and flexed his gloved hand before making a determined fist.

"Switching him out would be a huge letdown for me… I mean, c'mon, you gotta admit that last year was _close_. And they had to claw their way back up again, after starting off bad!" Sting Eucliffe propped his arms behind his head and grinned from ear-to-ear. "I bet things woulda been _a lot_ different if he fought one of us. Don't get me wrong, I know we could give him a run for his money, but he's a _Wizard Saint_. One step higher than that guy from Lamia Scale! Ahh, I hope this year turns out different; I wanna see how I stack up!"

Rogue Cheney rolled his eyes at his friend's enthusiasm for the Fire Dragon Slayer – or as he'd come to be known in recent years, the _Lightning_ Fire Dragon Slayer. It was no secret that Sting possessed a healthy admiration and respect for their main rival for title of Fiore's #1 Guild. Their Master, Jiemma, most certainly did not approve of the White Dragon Slayer's attitude, but Rogue could find nothing wrong in acknowledging Fairy Tail's strength. For a Guild to be capable of defying the evident disdain of the Grand Magic Games' sponsors, _always_ earning a high rank when the final results came in… It really was nothing short of amazing.

That said… There was acknowledging the strength of their rivals, and then there was embellishing them.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say the outcome would have been different…" Rogue calmly refuted Sting's assertion. "There is no doubt Natsu Dragneel is strong, but there have been cases in the past where he could not defeat an enemy by his own power. Take for example Grimoire Heart's Master Hades…"

Sting snorted in amusement at Rogue's critique of his idol.

"Aw, c'mon. If you're gonna be like that, then you could say Gajeel's a lot worse off, having lost to Mirajane Strauss 'n Laxus Dreyar. Hell, he still can't beat Natsu in a straight-up fight."

"Gajeel's case aside…" Rogue briskly dismissed Sting's attempt to get a rise out of him. The red Exceed snickered at the slight twitch in the dark-haired man's eye. "I am merely trying to point out Natsu is not infallible. If he's to be believed, he is still searching for the dragon that raised him; he did not defeat Igneel, like we have our dragons…"

Sting shrugged carelessly as this point was brought up.

"Well, all the more reason to fight him, y'know? I get the feeling this year's gonna be the most intense one yet. I'm so pumped!"

"Well, I just _know_ you're gonna find some way to beat 'im, Sting! If anyone can, it's totally you!" Lector cheered. Frosch jumped up and down beside him, a big, wide grin on his face.

"You, too, Rogue!" He knew all about Rogue and his respect for Gajeel. They all did.

"Tigers vs. Fairies…" Rogue mused. "This year… we should settle everything. Leave no room for doubt."

As his three companions agreed with the sentiment, they looked over the town their Guild was established in. A light breeze, a cloudless sky… They had no fear for the future. Only electric anticipation.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Haaah~… So glad to be through the lead-up to the Games. Was it rushed a bit? Did I consequently gloss over a number of characters? Yeah, but this chap's a couple weeks overdue. And of course NC is even more overdue than that. Ergh.**

 **But I digress. I'll leave you to speculate who'll be on Fairy Tail Team B this time around, but I'm happy to have settled on the members of Team A. For a while, I was bouncing around with Kagura somewhere in there… But then I thought, Kagura's a swordswoman. She might have Gravity Magic in addition to that, but the 'swordswoman' bit is more than adequately covered with Erza-chan. -_- That said, does that open up a possibility with Team B…? XD**

 **Ahh, but still. I promised there'd be some action with Cana, and this is the best way I found to fulfill that promise. I feel like the Thunder Legion needed some lovin', too, so I included Freed, as well. Yeah, yeah, I know I still went with Natsu, Erza, and Gray for the other three slots… But c'mon. If any of 'em were missing from Team A, that'd just raise eyebrows. Even in this AU, they're a well-known team, when Gray's not caught up in supporting Team Mira, anyway.**

 **Last bit of news: I finally settled on the conundrum of who made S-Class in the last seven years. Maybe a candidate for every year's a bit much, but 'ey. This is a talented bunch of Wizards. Ya gotta wonder what they would've done with seven more years in canon. For clarity's sake, I'll list them here, and no, there won't be takebacks. Even that one that came outta nowhere. I got my reasons to think that Warren would make the cut, and it kinda mostly boils down to his wide-range telepathy. I know most S-Classers are tanks, but just think of the strategic possibilities with telepathy. Think about it… -_- Yeah, that postpones Wendy's promotion, but her time will come… Her time will come…**

 **X784 – Cana and Gajeel**

 **X785 – Freed**

 **X786 – Juvia**

 **X787 – Ultear (bit of a retcon, I know...)**

 **X788 – Elfman**

 **X789 – Warren**

 **X790 – Kagura**

 **X791 – The Trials have yet to happen for this year**

 **... And to the reviewer who helped me get over 200 in review count, yeah... Thanks, I guess. XD You all rock. Hope you enjoyed this a bit.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Point-in-Time: July X791**

* * *

Crocus, the flower-blooming capital of the Fiore Kingdom. Once a year, a huge festival of Wizardry, the Grand Magic Games, are held within its borders. The streets are filled with excitement and the hustle and bustle of hopeful Wizards and curious spectators alike. At the heart of it all stands the King of Fiore's castle, the luminary palace, Mercurius. Sitting on top of the mountains to the west of the city is Domus Flau, the coliseum where the Grand Magic Games are held.

"And somewhere huddled among all this craziness… is us." Lucy muttered, sprawled out in the middle of the street with Gray, Wendy, and a few others, including Happy and Carla.

"I can't believe I still feel so horrible!" Wendy whined pitifully.

"I hope that whole Second Origin-unleashing Spell wasn't some kind of sick joke to make us lose the contest…" Gray grumbled.

That's right. Before everyone had split off to train for three months, Ultear had promised all of the teams that if they were interested, they should regroup one week before the Games, and she would unlock their Second Origins, which she explained was a source of untapped power that Wizards possessed. "Untapped" as in they would never access it for their entire lives, under normal circumstances. The main upshot of having their Second Origins unlocked was that they would possess much larger pools of Magical reserves. Which basically translated over to more endurance and strength behind their attacks.

Now, there was no serious need to power everyone up like that. And not everyone took Ultear up on her offer. They were a lot more powerful than they were seven years ago, but Ultear had believed they should exploit every advantage they could in order to come out on top in the Grand Magic Games. It'd taken Ultear seven years to research the concept of Second Origins and how to possibly unlock them, so she was quite eager for… guinea pigs. One thing she neglected to mention, though, was that she'd already tested the procedure out on someone outside the Guild. Isn't it just so nice to have a willing (and gullible) "otouto"?

Poor, poor Lyon.

Gray had accepted Ultear's offer because he felt he wasn't a tank like Natsu and Erza; and after the selection for the Games was revealed, he was the only one out of Team Fairy Tail to get his Second Origin unlocked. Cana hinted she already had something up her sleeve, and Freed felt confident enough with his natural abilities. Natsu and Erza… just turned her down. No explanation whatsoever, and it had Ultear curious as hell.

Lucy, Wendy, Gajeel, Juvia, Milliana, Meredy, and Simon had gotten their Second Origins unlocked, though. But Gajeel hadn't been around to hear Makarov announce the team that would be representing Fairy Tail, and Milliana had gone ahead with Kagura to Crocus with a majority of the Guild. Lucy only traveled with Natsu, Erza, their kids, Gray, Wendy, Simon, Meredy, Happy, and Carla because she still felt under the weather after getting that power-up.

"I do sorta feel like I have more Magic Power… Everything else in my body feels like it got hit by a train." The Celestial Wizard sighed.

"Chin up, there's no time for whining!" Erza got the attention of everyone who was sprawled out on the ground. She was hauling her luggage around, while Natsu was beside her, holding Ryo and Mikoto's hands.

"That's easy for you to say… you and Natsu didn't go through what we did." Lucy jealously pointed out.

"I bet she and Flamebrain already had their Second Origins… It'd explain _a lot_." Gray groused.

"That makes _perfect sense_." Lucy agreed dryly.

To their credit, Natsu and Erza managed to keep blank faces, neither confirming nor denying their friends' speculation.

"I see you kids finally made it." Everyone turned to see Makarov striding up to them with Asuka riding on his back. Bisca, Alzack, and the other members of Team Shadow Gear were with him, minus Gajeel.

"Master!" Erza greeted.

"We just now finished with the registration process! Hehehehehe!" Makarov coughed awkwardly to cut off his mischievous chuckles. "So let's show everyone why Fairy Tail is the #1 Guild in Fiore!"

"Hey, looks like the Fairy Tail Guild is here!" Some bystanders took note of their presence in the streets.

"Somebody's gotta make Sabertooth's victory look good." Another bystander snarked. A few chuckled snidely at the comment, and Natsu whirled on them with a twitching eye.

"Are those jerks laughin' at us?!"

"Easy…" Erza gently held onto his shoulder.

"If anyone wants to laugh, they can do it all they want." Makarov agreed calmly. Happy grinned and floated in front of Jet and Droy.

"Sounds like a good time to me!" He proceeded to cover his mouth with his paws and giggle at the now-irritated members of Team Shadow Gear.

"Hey! You don't have to laugh at us, cat!" Jet and Droy complained.

"Don't forget we're doing this for the thirty mil…" Makarov cleared his throat and corrected himself. "I mean, we're doing this to be Fiore's top-ranked Guild, of course! Now then… We know the Games will begin tomorrow, but as usual we don't know what they'll be."

Levy took this time to chip in, as she'd been delegated the task of reading the rulebook for any addendums that might have been put in place this year.

"The rules are pretty much the same; the only thing you should be aware of is that, 'all participants must return to their designated inn by twelve o'clock.'" Levy informed the group.

"There's a curfew?" Erza mused.

"What time again?" Lucy asked for clarification, seeing as how it was already 1PM.

"I suppose they mean midnight tonight." Carla reasoned. Gray snorted lightly.

"Or what, we'll all turn into pumpkins? That reminds me of the story of the princess and the glass slipper." The Ice Make Wizard muttered. Unbeknownst to him, Juvia lay hidden around a corner and was eavesdropping on the conversation.

 _'So my darling only talks about tales of romance and lost love when I'm not around…?'_ Her pupils became heart-shaped, and her blush intensified. _'Oh, my icy prince!'_

Shaking her head wildly, Juvia berated herself for succumbing to her old ways. She'd actually been intent on tracking Meldy and Simon down to spend time with them, but she became distracted after hearing Gray bring up that fairytale. Fortunately, Simon and Meldy was with this group, so she wouldn't come across as a stalker…

… At least, not too much.

"Cool, we got plenty of time until midnight!" Natsu remarked with his usual infectious grin. Looking down at Ryo and Mikoto, understanding seemed to flash in their eyes, and the three of them started running further into Crocus. "We usually only get to come here once a year… Let's go explore!"

"Aye!" Mikoto chirped cutely, and Ryo nodded his head. Happy floated after them, and Erza called out.

"Hold on! Do you even know where we're staying?!"

"The Honey Bone Inn!" Natsu replied without missing a beat, not even turning around.

"Just be sure to be back by twelve o'clock! You hear me?!" Erza sighed as she got vague affirmations from her family, but smiled as she knew that Natsu was doing it so the kids wouldn't stay in a cramped hotel room while she unpacked her luggage. Erza then frowned slightly. _'I wonder what's so important about that time…?'_

The Fairy Tail mages split off from one another as they all seemed to have plans for the day. A short while later, Erza was standing in the hotel room that was apparently set aside for her, Natsu, Gray, Cana, and Freed.

"For some reason, six beds have been prepared… Does that mean we'll all be sharing the same room?" Erza wondered aloud. Whether or not the sixth bed was generously given for Ryo and Mikoto, the scarlet knight didn't know; but until told otherwise, that's how she planned to use it. Really, when you got down to it, there were two extra beds due to her and Natsu preferring to sleep together. If the kids wanted to sleep separately, she wouldn't object.

With that idly planned out in her head, Erza went about inspecting the room – opening the closets, looking out the window while pulling back the curtain, looking under the beds, throwing off the bedsheets temporarily, looking in the bedside table drawers, even the flowerpots weren't safe from Erza's thorough inspection. The scarlet knight eventually took a bath and lounged around in nothing but a towel; at one point she eagerly polished one of her many swords.

"Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary here…" Erza mused after completing her inspection of the hotel room. If the rooms were somehow involved in the Games, the people in charge probably hadn't set up yet.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wendy and Carla had caught up with Natsu, Happy, and the kids, and were now enjoying the sights with them. At one point, they stopped by a flower shop and got leis to wear on their heads and around their necks for a bit. It was also around that time, however, that Natsu bumped into a pretty familiar face.

"S-Sorano?!" Natsu gaped with wide, shocked eyes as he took in the former Dark Mage. She'd grown out her hair more, and her new outfit seemed more feathery than before – though by no means was it any less revealing. "What are you doin' out and about?!"

For her part, Sorano was cursing inwardly somewhat. It'd been mere coincidence that she'd been travelling the same street as the Pyro that had defeated her years ago, and she'd been doing so well in avoiding all the Fairy Tail mages that might've recognized her. On the outside, she plastered on a slightly forced smile as she sheepishly raised her hand in greeting. Awkwardness aside, it really was nice meeting him again.

… Though you would never, _ever_ hear her admit that out loud. Damn Nirvana messing with her head…

"O-Oh… hey…" Sorano trailed off awkwardly at first, before realizing the Dragon Slayer was expecting an answer for her presence in Crocus. "Yeah, the Council sort of agreed to release me on probation. They're even letting me come here to see the Games."

And the whole thing was meant to be hush-hush…! Ugh. It's not like she had anything to hide; she really was on probation. It's just… well… It was kind of meant to be a surprise, when the time was right. Oh well. No going back now.

"I find that hard to believe. You and the rest of Oracion Seis should be locked away for a long, long time for every crime you committed!" Carla pompously gave her opinion. Sorano twitched at receiving lip from a feline, but somehow managed to keep her lips pressed into a thin line.

 _'Well, screw you, too, furball!'_

"Carla, be nice!" Wendy scolded, feeling the comment was out of line. Sure, they were enemies once, but the Sky Dragon Slayer still remembered the shy, guilt-ridden woman that had been taken into custody by the Rune Knights. Nirvana had changed her and that one man… Wally's brother, if memory served? Regardless, Nirvana had changed Sorano, and Wendy was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt.

Natsu tilted his head and grinned at the angel-obsessed woman. He did kinda owe her for saving him from falling when Nirvana was crumbling apart, so he'd take Sorano at her word.

"That's cool! How about your teammates? Or are they still locked up?" Natsu hoped the Council hadn't released Brain… that guy was a piece of work.

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say." Sorano's smile became the slightest bit twitchy. She then calmed herself when she felt two pairs of eyes staring up at her. Blinking, Sorano perceived similarities in the children's facial features to that of the Dragon Slayer right in front of her; though the girl especially seemed similar to the scarlet knight that had interrogated her, all those years ago. There was only one conclusion, and it left Sorano a little baffled. "Huh… You have kids now?"

Any response from Natsu was cut off by his kids, who spoke up at the same time.

"Pretty~!"

Sorano's cheeks pinked slightly, as the children were no doubt referring to her as they studied her with such interest. From their perspective, they grew up in a Guild full of stunningly beautiful women, so it was quite a sight for them to see someone outside the Guild who was even remotely as beautiful.

… Though not as pretty as mommy, obviously. Mommy was the prettiest of them all, so much like a Fairy~.

Smiling softly, Sorano crouched down to their level.

"I'm Sorano. What's your names?"

Somewhat bashfully, the two redheads introduced themselves, hiding behind their father's legs shyly as they looked back at her. Yeah, they were little cuties, and Natsu could tell Sorano was quite taken by them.

And that's when the Dragon Slayer seemed to recall something.

"Oh yeah…" Natsu dug around in his pockets for a few moments before pulling out two Golden Keys, which garnered a look of astonishment from the silver-haired woman. He held them out to the woman, who remained crouched and unsure if they were real or not. "Here. Gramps said I should probably bring these along to Crocus, but I didn't know why, 'cause I thought you were still in prison. Makes sense now, though."

Sorano continued to look at the Magical objects in disbelief. Of course she remembered that Natsu had promised to look after them for her, but… after all she'd done, a larger part of her had doubted he would keep his word. If he gave them to that Celestial Wizard friend of his, Sorano wouldn't have blamed him; she'd told him to give Aries away to that person, after all. Hell, Sorano might have deserved it… But… He really had intended to give them back to her.

"N-Natsu… thank you…" Sorano whispered softly, gently taking them from his hands and then clutching them both to her bosom. It took all of her will to hold back the tears. She couldn't even remember the last time she cried, aside from that day seven years ago, when her eyes were opened to the gravity of the sins she'd committed. But here she was, ready to shed fresh tears anew… Damn it, she was supposed to stay strong! Given that she was the older sister, Sorano Agria was supposed to remain strong at all times…!

Most of the Fairy Tail members watching felt out of place as Sorano shed a few tears, but Natsu watched on with a big grin plastered on his face. It felt good to keep a promise!

* * *

"Gray, my darling!" Juvia called out as the sun was beginning to set. As she ran up to the object of her affection, Gray turned to her with slight surprise.

"Hey, didn't expect to see you!" Gray greeted the Water mage. "You come all this way all by yourself?"

Juvia beamed and giggled.

"I'm not the only one, silly! The entire Guild came to cheer you on!"

"I guess no one's busy taking on any jobs, huh?" Gray mused, though he mentally corrected himself, as he knew Gildarts was still off somewhere.

"What do you think about you and I going out to get a bite to eat somewhere?" Juvia sweetly asked.

"Yeah, sure, I am gettin' pretty hungry." Gray kindly accepted the invitation. Though to his ire, his 'brother' happened to appear out of the blue.

… Damn Ultear for making him think of _this guy_ as his brother of all things.

"Lucky for you, I know of a perfect restaurant not too far from here!" Lyon spoke presumptuously and started to lead Juvia away from Gray. "It's quite romantic, actually... Complete with an aquarium filled with beautiful creatures from the sea."

Gray was completely caught off-guard, and Juvia was nervously trying to extract herself from the silver-haired mage.

"O-Oh, yeah? Well, I, uh…"

"Hey, man! You can't just go runnin' away with one of our Guild members!" Gray yelled after him.

Lyon stopped in his walk, and Juvia took the opportunity to separate from him and edge closer to Gray.

"Rumor has it you'll be representing your Guild in the Grand Magic Games…"

"Yeah…" Gray trailed off uncertainly, not knowing where Lyon was going with this.

"It's no use, for Lamia Scale will surely emerge as the victor!"

"As I seem to recall, you guys always manage to take Third." Gray pointed out contradictorily. Lyon smirked and got up in his face.

"And your Guild has come in Second Place for the past couple years! But this time will be different, because Jura and I will be participating in the Games for the very first time! That means we'll be stronger than ever before!"

Gray smirked back just as cockily, and pushed back in Lyon's face with equal force.

"Well, we happen to have a couple Aces of our own, known as Erza and Natsu Dragneel! So don't count us out of the race just yet!"

Lyon pulled back and made a passionate pose.

"Let's make a friendly wager! If Lamia Scale wins the Grand Magic Games this year… then the beautiful Juvia will become a part of our Guild!"

Obviously, this did not sit well with Gray _or_ Juvia.

"Are you serious?!" Gray sighed, deciding to hear Lyon out, though. "And…? What if _we_ win?"

"If your Guild wins, we'll give her back!" Lyon pointed at Gray, who spluttered.

"She's already a member of our Guild, you bonehead!"

"This is a gentlemen's agreement, so don't forget it, Gray…" Lyon blissfully ignored Gray's argument.

"This has got to be the absolute stupidest bet I've ever heard of!" And believe him, Gray had heard of _a lot_ of stupid bets over the years… mostly centered around that Pyro…

"The words of a man afraid to lose!" Lyon taunted.

"Oh, I ain't afraid!" Gray glowered at his rival. Juvia had been on the verge of making a nonsensical outburst, but she reined herself in at the last moment. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Lyon with a grave expression.

"I really must apologize, but I will not be allowing this bet to take place. And if I hear one more word of it, I will personally see to it that you become a paraplegic." Nodding her head sagely, Juvia was quite satisfied when Lyon took a step back in shock and held a hand over his heart.

"But Juvia, my darling…!"

"Juvia belongs to no one…!" Juvia growled lowly. While inwardly blushing and adding, _'… Except to Gray-sama.'_

Gray just sweatdropped as his rival profusely apologized and bowed up and down. Figured that it would take Juvia stepping up to get Lyon to give up on his dumbass scheme. Though the dark-haired man had a feeling that he'd be hearing a lot more about that "bet" when Juvia wasn't in earshot…

* * *

Now that the sun was setting, Erza was lying on one of the beds in her pajamas, dwelling on the laundry list of things they would need to do while here in Crocus. There was the Games, of course, but there was also that strange Magic that had been perceived in recent years. They had to find out why it was so similar to Zeref, but not quite the Black Wizard himself.

Erza had gone out on the town for a bit when her family came back to check on her – informing her about their run-in with Sorano – but eventually she just felt like someone had to remain behind in the room, just in case one of the officials needed to announce something. No one had come by yet, though, and Erza was contemplating going back out there to find Kagura and Milliana for a girls' night out.

And then **he** appeared. "Intruded" would be a more appropriate term.

"Erza! Your fragrant Parfum is as intoxicating as I remember!" Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff. The leader of the Trimens grinned and hopped up on the bed the redhead was on, creepily leaning in to sniff her. Erza clenched her fist as a tick mark pulsated on her forehead.

"You need to respect my privacy… **GOT IT**?!" Erza roared as she punched him across Crocus through the open window. Erza took a deep breath to calm herself. But then she discovered that there was _more_ intruders…

"You're so beautiful when you're angry!" Hibiki complimented her, kneeling on one knee and holding out a bouquet of flowers.

"We didn't come here to make you feel better, so don't get the wrong idea." Ren droned 'disinterestedly'.

"Would you like to freshen up?" Eve asked politely.

Erza found herself clenching her fist again, another tick mark pulsated on her forehead.

"Why don't you follow your **troll of a Master**!" Erza roared once again, punching all three of them across Crocus in one hit.

"TRIMENS FOREVERRR!" The trio chorused.

Erza took several more calming breaths before nodding satisfactorily. The nuisances were gone, and wouldn't be back for a while yet. She'd just continue to wait here until midnight; that way, she didn't risk running into one of them while searching Crocus for Kagura or Milliana. It wouldn't be long before Natsu brought the kids back here, anyway.

* * *

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Pyro was having another interesting encounter, as he came across the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth after taking his kids to get a bite to eat for dinner. Wendy and Carla had separated from their group, wanting to tour the castle courtyard again. Happy would've gone with them to be with Carla, but Carla pointed out someone should stick with Natsu in case Ryo or Mikoto got separated from him in a crowd.

… Not that any of the civilians of Crocus felt like doing harm to Salamander's kids. Nothing pleasant lied down that road… especially when you factor in the mother of these children.

"Oi! Natsu!" The White Dragon Slayer greeted amicably, even as he stood atop of several mages who had attempted to jump him. Like most Dragon Slayers, Sting didn't edge away from a scrap when one presented itself. Too bad no one decent had jumped him yet.

"Salamander…" Rogue trailed off, offering a terse nod of acknowledgement.

Natsu, for his part, grinned with excitement and anticipation. Two of his strongest competitors were standing right before him, and he might not get another chance to brawl with them. Past years had them just missing each other when it came to the fights, and he'd be darned if another year passed them by. He didn't give a crap about the "Generation" nonsense they spouted so often; strength was strength, and these two had it in boatloads!

… That said, Erza's repeated warnings of keeping his composure while out in the city rang through his head, and Natsu kept his excitement in check. He didn't want to risk Fairy Tail's spot in the Games. Too many people would kick his ass for it – Erza, Gramps, Kagura… The list went on and on.

"Hey, guys! You made it!"

Rogue raised an eyebrow in a mixture of curiosity and slight apprehension.

"You doubted we would come?"

Natsu shook his head.

"Nah, I just hadn't run into anyone from Sabertooth all afternoon. Just your fans."

In typical fashion, Sting shot his partner a reproving look for even insulting his idol.

"Simmer down, Crocus is pretty big. It's not like we've run into any Fairy Tail Wizards, either." Sting grumbled, but then brightened as his gaze fell back on Natsu. "So, you wanna make this the year we settle things once and for all, Mister Wizard Saint?"

The crowd around them took a few steps back as Natsu's fist blazed to life and lightning crackled around his body slightly – his children remained unharmed.

"Hell yeah! Don't expect me to go easy if we square off this year! Fairy Tail's gonna come out on top!"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Sting smirked, and then paused before clarifying that statement. "… You going all-out, I mean. The Tigers are gonna defend their title."

Before Natsu could turn it into a bigger argument, Rogue smoothly cut in.

"Will Gajeel be participating? We caught wind that you would be, but have not heard anything about him." He calmly revealed, though his Guildmates knew he was just dying to know.

"Gajeel…? Nah. Gramps picked someone else; you got me, Erza, the Stripper, 'n two others that I'm not gonna reveal just yet." Natsu grinned cockily, knowing it wouldn't be wise to reveal _all_ their cards. This seemed to put Rogue in a sour mood, though, and the Pyro grudgingly added, "I'm sure he'll be here watching, though. And you know how these teams work; anyone can be changed in or out anytime, so… he could be participating at some point."

Rogue seemed to be placated by that, though he obviously wasn't pleased that the man he respected was a reserve member of all things. Sting, meanwhile, smirked and nodded his sagely. His idol really was perceptive when he wanted to be. The White Dragon Slayer knew Natsu had a reputation for being reckless and destructive, but he was every bit the hero that people all over Fiore claimed him to be.

"Kitty."

"H-Hey, now… Don't get too close – I'm no ordinary cat! HEY!" Lector's protests made the Dragon Slayers turn as one, and they watched as Mikoto picked the Exceed right up and cuddled him. It was actually really cute.

… And then Lector started to squirm, trying to get free. His first mistake was succeeding in his endeavors. His second mistake… was turning right around to scold the pouty redhead.

"Now, little girl, I know I look cute and cuddly, but I got an image to protect, y'see, and…" Lector trailed off as Mikoto narrowed her eyes.

"Bad kitty."

Next thing the red exceed knew, he took a small fireball to the face – not taking too much damage, but his face looked a little crispy.

"WHOA! Mikoto, you can breathe fire!" Natsu gushed as his jaw dropped to the ground. He felt bad for his rivals, but he had to go tell Erza! Like… _now_! "Sorry, guys, I'll definitely see ya tomorrow!"

Natsu declared this after scooping Mikoto up and placing her on his shoulders while taking Ryo by the hand and guiding them back to the hotel. Happy momentarily stayed behind to giggle at his rival Exceed, since Lector never missed a chance to boast about Sting and how he was stronger than Natsu was; but then, Happy flew after his pal, telling him to wait up.

"… If she had done that to Frosch, I would have throttled him, idol or not." Rogue deadpanned as Sting clutched his sides, laughing a little.

"Oh, man! Salamander's the best! Sorry, Lector, but that was just… _adorable_ …"

"'Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch added his input with a wide smile.

Lector grumbled about kids getting Magic too early, and eccentrically vowed vengeance through Sting when he kicked Salamander's ass.

* * *

Sometime later, Freed returned to their designated room with a somewhat sloshed Cana in tow. He'd found her out drinking with Bacchus, and knew they would be late for their curfew if he allowed her to drink to her heart's content. And they would have had to replace her if she got too sloshed, which thankfully she didn't.

"Good, it looks like we all made it on time." Erza breathed easy. Natsu and Gray had gotten back at least half an hour before curfew, but Cana and Freed only got back within ten minutes of it. She had really started to worry, but thankfully Freed had been watching out for Cana.

Before long, Lisanna and Elfman came by, bringing in bags of food and a crate of drinks.

"We brought some supplies to get ya through the tournament!" Elfman smirked proudly while Lisanna smiled.

"Tomorrow's gonna be a big day!" Lisanna chirped.

"Aw, thanks you guys!" Gray offered his gratitude. Natsu walked forward.

"Did ya come to watch us beat up on those other Guilds?"

"Yeah! I mean, I originally wanted to get in on the action and impress my sisters… But a Real Man knows when to quit!" Elfman sheepishly admitted.

"You can count on us to make Fairy Tail proud," Freed promised the Takeover mage.

No sooner had he said that than did the clock on the wall chime that it was midnight, making the five representatives a little anxious for what would happen next. Lisanna tilted her head at the change in atmosphere, but it was even stranger that a clock could be heard chiming through the whole city, as well.

"Twelve o'clock…" Natsu cracked his knuckles.

"I wonder what's gonna happen…" Gray mumbled.

A voice then rang out along with the main clock's chiming.

" _Attention, all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games! Gooood morniiing!_ " The seven Fairy Tail mages, two kids, and Exceed ran out onto the balcony attached to their room, where they could see a giant floating projection of a man with a pumpkin head. " _To narrow down the 113 teams in this year's Games to a more manageable 8, let's begin the Preliminary Round!_ "

"Seriously?!" Gray yelled incredulously.

"Well, this is news…" Erza muttered.

In the inn that Blue Pegasus was staying at, Ichiya turned to Hibiki.

"Has there been a Preliminary Round in years past?"

"No," Hibiki confirmed his leader's suspicions. "This is completely new."

"So this is why we were meant to take our places at midnight…" Lyon mused from Lamia Scale's inn. Jura's expression was grim.

"113 teams narrowed down to a meager 8 in one fell swoop…"

 _'113 Guilds in Fiore…? I_ know _that number is far too high.'_ Freed thought to himself as his brow furrowed. Next to him, Erza was having doubts of her own.

 _'It doesn't make sense… Why would they keep this Preliminary Round a secret until now? Why all these new procedures? Excessive number of Guilds involved, and a mysterious Magic that will no doubt be making a reappearance… What are the organizers up to?'_

Meanwhile, the pumpkin-headed hologram continued to speak.

" _Although the number of Guilds increase and multiply each year, the Games have gotten boring now! It's all I ever hear! Let's dwindle them down, I say to you, and give just eight a cheer!_ " The man raised a gloved index finger. " _The rules for this Preliminary Round are simple!_ "

As the announcer said this, the Honey Bone Inn began to rise up through some mechanical device. The same could be seen happening to all the other inns throughout Crocus.

" _Now you will all be participating in a race! The finish line is at the Domus Flau coliseum! Only the first eight teams to reach it will move onto the_ _ **Grand Magic Games**_ _!_ "

"That's a path…" Gray muttered as a series of steps materialized in front of their balcony.

"I suppose we'll be following it…?" Erza added with a furrowed brow.

" _You're free to use Magic in any way you see fit! There are_ _ **no**_ _restrictions! But remember, only the first eight teams to reach the finish line will clear this round!_ " The pumpkin-headed man clenched a fist in determination. " _However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count! One more thing… We are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth!_ "

"Say what?!" Natsu growled. And as he said this, a giant, seemingly chaotic sphere materialized over Crocus, being connected to all the paths that stemmed from every inn.

" _Without any further ado... Let the Grand Magic Games' Preliminary Round, Sky Labyrinth,_ _ **begin**_ _!_ "

"If it's a race, we better get goin'…" Gray declared with determination. He, Cana, and Freed leaped onto the path and started running up to the labyrinth. Natsu and Erza briefly stayed behind to reassure their children.

"Now, you stay with Happy, Elfman, and Lisanna, alright? Be good." Erza stroked her daughter's head, and Mikoto and Ryo each hugged their parents before Natsu and Erza took off in pursuit of their team – flames shooting out from under Natsu's feet, and Erza having donned her Flight Armor briefly.

It didn't take them long to catch up, and even less time to get into the labyrinth proper. The five powerful mages briefly took a moment to survey the challenge before them.

"Whoa… It's some kind of crazy, three-dimensional maze." Gray remarked.

"Grrrah… I really suck at stuff like this!" Natsu whined. Erza lightly swatted him behind the head, sending him sprawling to the elevated floor they were standing on.

"Don't give up so easily!"

"Yeah, we gotta finish in the Top Eight, or we won't even qualify!" Cana reminded the Dragon Slayer. Natsu punched his open palm giddily.

"Yeah, you're right! We gotta get through this if we wanna get the chance to kick Sabertooth's butt!"

"Let's make sure to reach the goal before they do." Gray echoed Natsu's determination.

"As S-Class mages, we shouldn't settle for anything other than First Place." Freed intoned calmly with his arms crossed over his chest. Mira and Laxus would be quite cross with him if he became complacent and cost them that spot.

"When we were on the ground, the coliseum was to the east. I think we should head in that direction."

"Sure, but it's gonna be awful hard to head straight east with this crazy layout." Cana muttered.

Regardless, they began by running up a staircase, following the compass that Erza always had on hand. After a while, they took a brief stop to catch their breath.

"Natsu, you're not feeling sick?" Erza asked with some light concern.

"Uh-uh. You'd think I'd be puking my guts out, but I feel just fine!" Natsu assured the redhead.

Apparently, the announcer overheard the discussion, as he appeared on a big hologram screen close by.

" _Allow me to explain! A special Magic was cast on the Sky Labyrinth, allowing participants with weaknesses such as_ motion sickness _and_ fear of heights _to compete on equal terms in the Preliminary Round!_ " Their curiosity satiated, the hologram screen vanished.

"I see…" Erza nodded.

"I guess it's like Troia Magic…" Natsu mused.

"I seriously doubt other Wizards get motion sickness as easily as Natsu…" Cana elbowed Gray in the ribs playfully. Gray rolled his eyes.

"I know what ya mean, he's kinda a big baby…"

"HEY! I CAN HEAR YA, YA KNOW!" Natsu growled.

"Let's keep heading eastward." Erza calmly defused the argument before it could turn into a brawl.

Eventually, they reached a door, and Erza opened it to reveal a floor and tunnel that spiraled downward weirdly, like it was a different dimension with different rules of physics and gravity.

"… This is making me dizzy just looking at it." Cana groused. Erza shook her head.

"We're wasting time… Let's _go_!" And once again, the five of them were off running.

"Just how long is this tunnel, anyway?" Gray asked reasonably, after they'd been running down it for a while.

"Who cares?! Our goal's at the end of it!" Natsu exclaimed with certainty, and they reached another door, which Natsu kicked open. Fortunately for him, Erza caught him by the scruff of his scarf before he ran off the narrow ledge they found themselves on now.

"Could you _try_ and be more careful?" Erza huffed as her husband chuckled sheepishly.

"Clearly, they were not exaggerating when they claimed you could expire in here…" Freed frowned in distaste. He doubted the organizers seriously wanted anyone to die… But they were uncaring, and that could be just as bad, in the grand scheme of things.

"Watch your step, 'cause I don't think anyone would survive falling into the city from this thing." Gray muttered, staring down at the city that seemed to be asleep, for the most part.

Cana rubbed her forehead as she looked around.

"I hate to say it, but we'll have to be careful about which path we choose to take from now on…"

Natsu clenched his fists agitatedly.

"Guys, we're never gonna reach the goal if we keep lookin' down! C'mon, we need to keep moving eastward!"

Looking at the labyrinth from another angle, Erza raised a gauntleted hand to her chin.

"I think it would be prudent for us to take notes as we move along… We should write down the path we've taken from our starting point, and the locations we've passed. We need to know precisely where we are in order to make progress."

"That'll keep us from running in circles, at least…" Cana muttered, to which Gray nodded.

"No joke. Guess we better start mapping stuff out…"

Freed frowned, but said nothing against the plan to map out the labyrinth. Fortunately for his team, Freed had already begun to mark locations where they'd been with Runes, which would only become visible if Freed checked on the location. As an extra precaution, he also set up some traps for the opposing teams, such as in the event when two teams came into contact with one another. Normally, they would probably clash anyway, but in the event they tried to go around one another… Well, his Enchantments saw to it that only one team would be allowed to pass. This tactic wasn't exactly noble, but they needed to start weeding out the other teams…

"How the heck are we supposed to map this crazy place out?!" Natsu grumbled.

"Quit whining and help." Gray deadpanned. "Can't you sniff out the goal or somethin'?"

"Don't you think I would've done that by now?" Natsu shot back.

Cana sighed.

"The Magic they cast on the Labyrinth must have dulled your sense of smell…"

"The conditions are the same for every team," Erza concurred. "Let's keep moving!"

* * *

A little while later, they'd made a fair amount of progress in mapping locations they'd seen, but they weren't any closer to reaching the goal, per se. Freed was poring over the map they had thus far, but one perspective wasn't going to shed much clarity on the layout. They would need… other perspectives.

"Hey, Erza…" Natsu whispered, as his ears pricked up at the sound of voices nearby.

"Yes… I heard it, too." The redhead concurred.

"… You're the one who told us to go this way!"

"Don't try to blame this on me!"

"I don't care whose fault it is, all I know is we've been here before!"

"That's what I'm sayin'! We're goin' around in circles!"

"Just shut up and keep moving, we're running out of time!"

By now, Cana, Freed, and Gray had caught wind of the squabbling going on from a rival team, as well.

"I almost forgot…" Cana mused.

"It's been so quiet that it's easy to forget there are other Guilds in here…" Gray agreed.

A few moments later, the opposing team came into view, and from Team Fairy Tail's perspective… they were standing upside down on a nearby platform. None of them were really surprised that the dimensions were twisted and labyrinth-like, too; if there was only one way to maneuver through the maze, they would've run into a lot of teams by this point… But they hadn't, thus far.

Well, it wasn't that hard to overcome the opposing team. No one recognized the Guild mark on them, but that didn't really matter; even if it'd been Blue Pegasus or Lamia Scale that they came across, they would've had to take them down because they were competitors in this tournament. Shortly after the five opposing mages fell, the eyes on the huge statue outside of the labyrinth flashed red, and the whole construct began to rotate, and even all the paths inside began to shift around, to the ire of the Fairy Tail mages.

"What now?!" Erza growled.

"Oh, man, I don't like this!" Natsu groaned, though thankfully he wasn't experiencing motion sickness.

"What the heck's going on?!" Cana demanded.

"The ground's moving… well, no, technically…" Gray trailed off uncertainly.

"The labyrinth itself is beginning to rotate." Freed surmised.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Natsu, Gray, and Cana chorused.

"No one warned us about this…!" Natsu exclaimed as he and Cana began to fall, due to being on pieces of the labyrinth that had turned on their side. Fortunately, Erza had donned her Flight Armor to snatch Natsu out of the air, and Freed sprouted his own wings to save Cana. Gray was lucky enough to react fast enough to the labyrinth maneuvering around.

A fair number of mages from other teams weren't so lucky, though…

"It's moving on its Z-axis!" Erza observed, and Gray nodded in agreement.

"We gotta move to the sides, you guys!" Not long after Erza and Freed touched down on areas that were now safe, the labyrinth ceased its movements. Gray rubbed the back of his head in agitation, from where he was standing. "I dunno who came up with this crazy contraption… But they're pretty messed-up in the head."

"I'm not surprised by the intricacy of the Labyrinth… It's designed to narrow one hundred teams down to eight." Erza mused.

"It appears that last move got rid of many of them…" Freed shook his head regretfully. Even if it was a relief to see the losing teams hovering on Magic Circles that appeared below the labyrinth, it was still unfortunate for all those teams to be knocked out of the running so early…

And then a piece of paper tumbled down the steps close to where Natsu and Erza was standing; apparently, it belonged to the map of the team they'd handily defeated, just now.

"Talk about a lucky break…" Gray smirked. "If we combine our map with theirs, we'll have an even better picture of this crazy place!"

A mischievous glint appeared in Erza's eyes, which also appeared in the eyes of Natsu, Gray, and Cana, as they all happened upon the same brilliant idea. Freed merely sighed, but he'd already worked out that it would have to be done; they need a lot more than one perspective, if they wanted to succeed here.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Apparently, one of the mages they'd defeated had managed to cling onto a nearby ledge.

"Oh, does this belong to you?" Erza asked innocently.

"Yeah, now give it back!" The random mage whined, and was summarily kicked off the ledge before he could fully climb up to safety.

" _Not_ gonna happen!" Erza declared, with her leg still raised. The mage screamed on his way down, and the announcer sighed.

" _And another one bites the dust…_ "

Natsu, Erza, Cana, and Gray went back to having mischievous glints in their eyes, an evil aura surrounding each of them.

"How about that…? I just figured how we're going to get ahead in the Preliminaries!" Erza chuckled darkly.

Outside the labyrinth, the short pumpkin-headed man raised his arms gleefully, even as many panicked cries of Fairy Tail's victims could be heard throughout the labyrinth.

"The Preliminary Round is about to take a very serious turn! A vast majority of the teams will soon be eliminated, one right after the other! OOOH! This is so exciting, I can barely contain myself!"

In such a short amount of time, the Fairy Tail mages managed to collect at least twenty maps. And not long after that, labyrinth began to rotate once again. Once things had settled down again, Freed advised that they should head to the center of the labyrinth. From there, Freed worked out that they should wait for the labyrinth to rotate one more time, since none of the maps had charted the area that looked like a small town with a river and a nearby ocean. If his guesswork was wrong, at least they'd have a clearer picture of the whole thing.

Turns out they ended up hitting paydirt, after investigating the bridge that extended over the ocean…

* * *

The pumpkin-headed announcer was there to greet the Fairy Tail team as they reached the end of the path, where a door with the word 'GOAL' above it was standing behind him.

"Cana Alberona! Freed Justine! Gray Fullbuster! Erza Dragneel! And Natsu Dragneel!" The announcer greeted the five with a cheery clapping. "WHOO HOO! Congratulations, Team Fairy Tail! You've cleared the Preliminary Round!"

"WE DID IT!" Natsu cheered boisterously.

"Why do you sound so surprised? I knew we were gonna make it." Gray muttered.

"Did we come in First Place?!" Cana begged to know.

"Ehhh… no." The announcer shot down that fleeting hope. "More like… Fourth Place. You guys wound up in the middle of the pack."

The faces of the Fairy Tail mages were chagrined, and they cried out in a panic.

"FOURTH PLACE?!" It was in the upper tier of the incoming teams, barely, but they were still so shocked that three other teams had gotten there before them.

Regardless, they were congratulated for making the cut, and they were ushered through the door, where they were taken to a waiting area reserved for them. Once the other four teams had cleared the labyrinth, they would all be ushered back to their respective inns, without seeing any of the other teams until the opening ceremonies the next day…

* * *

The following day, the Domus Flau coliseum was pumped with energy as the crowds that were packed into the stands like sardines buzzed with excitement. Hundreds of balloons were released into the air, and firecrackers were going off like crazy. In the announcers' booth, three individuals were sat at a table with microphones placed in front of each of them, along with a list of the teams that made it, and the itinerary for the first day of the Games.

"The big day is _finally_ here, folks! The Grand Magic Games will be getting underway shortly! This is going to be a year to remember…!" Chapati Lola boomed through the microphone, He'd been the main announcer every year; and in recent years, he'd been joined by Mister Yajima in the booth, along with a variety of other guest announcers. It just so happened that for this first day, he and Yajima were joined by Jenny Realight of Blue Pegasus.

Meanwhile, in the waiting area reserved for them, the five Fairy Tail mages could hear the roaring of the crowd out in the stadium.

"Wow, would you listen to that crowd?" Erza asked in amusement.

"The city's full of Wizards from all over the country," Gray reasoned, "of course folks wanna see them in action."

Natsu looked down at the uniform that he was being forced to wear. At least Gramps had allowed him to keep the style he liked, but the color…

"Purple is so lame! I'd rather wear my regular clothes instead of this crap!" The rose-haired mage complained.

"You'll just have to deal with it, Natsu…" Cana sighed. "Unless you wanna talk to Gramps about it."

Erza smiled serenely.

"You won't hear me complaining… I think they're adorable!"

"And comfy! Skintight!" Gray grinned, which prompted a twitch from the brunette.

"Gray, your clothes!" For indeed, he was only wearing his pants and shoes; he'd stripped off the coat and shirt at some point.

"Forget about the clothes for now…" Freed sighed. "Let's just wait out in the tunnel until we're called; Fairy Tail is counting on us."

Freed received several determined nods, and they all proceeded to exit the waiting area. Out in the arena, Chapati continued to speak.

"We're just moments away from the Grand Magic Games, folks! I'm lead commentator, Chapati Lola! And I'll be handling the play-by-play, while former Councilor Mister Yajima provides commentary! Mister Yajima, glad to have you with us!" Chapati smiled.

"Glad to be here!" The former Councilor, now dressed as a chef, said in gratitude.

"And let's not forget our special guest… A member of Blue Pegasus, a runner-up for the title of Miss Fiore, Miss Jenny Realight!"

"Blue Pegasus is bringing home the Gold, this year!" The blonde beamed.

"Now, the time has come to meet our competitors! First up, we have the team that came in Eighth Place in the Prelims… the rowdy army of hellhounds… QUATRO CERBERUUUS!" As Chapati announced their name, the five representatives of the Guild walked out onto the playing field.

"Let's get WILD! Ya with me?!" Rocker asked his crew, and they screamed assents of agreement.

In the stands that sectioned off his Guild, Master Goldmine smirked while he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I expect a win this year, fellas! Don't disappoint me."

"And coming in Seventh is a Guild filled to the brim with the fairer sex… The angels of the great blue sea… MERMAID HEEEEEEL!"

The five representatives of Mermaid Heel marched out onto the field, with Beth Vanderwood waving at fans, and Risley Law and Arana Web staring out at the crowd appreciatively. The other two, Flare Corona and Yukino Agria, had a confident smirk and a shy smile respectively.

"I didn't know there was a Guild full of ladies!" Happy exclaimed from the Fairy Tail section of the stands.

"In Sixth Place, with wings that glimmer in the darkness, it's Blue Pegasus!"

A spotlight came down on Ichiya that gradually revealed the Trimens and someone in a bunny suit behind him.

"Hey, guys! Do your best!" Jenny gave them a thumb's up.

"Next, in Fifth Place, the Goddess of Love and Strife… the Sacred Destroyer… LAMIA SCALE!"

Lyon, Jura, Toby, and Yuka walked out onto the field with a girl that looked to be related to Sherry. Ooba angrily spun her hand about in the air.

"Why'd you only come in Fifth Place, huh?! I told you kids not to hold back?!"

"Yeah, sorry about that, Old Hag, I wasn't watching where I was going!" The unknown girl apologized before falling flat on her face.

"And in Fourth Place, we have the Guild that is hoping to make an upset in this year's Games and take back the title of First Place by force… FAIRY TAIL!"

Natsu, Erza, Gray, Cana, and Freed all walked out into the field with determined expressions. They might've ended up in the middle of the pack for the Prelims, but that _was_ going to change in the coming rounds. Yajima offered them a thumb's up.

"I'm proud of 'em! Way to go, kiddos! Now get out there and show 'em what you can do!"

The Fairy Tail Guild was going nuts in their section of the stands.

"CHEER UNTIL YOU BUST A LUNG! HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAAAY! FAIRY TAIL IS #1!" Naturally, Makarov was at the forefront of his Guild, and he was leading the cheering for the five of them.

"The cheers of our comrades are the only support we need…" Erza smiled gratefully, and Cana and Freed nodded in agreement.

Gray was doing a double-take, however, as he spied a blonde girl in a conservative dress sitting by Master Makarov. He'd _never_ seen her before, and neither had Natsu, by the looks of it.

"Who the heck…?" The Dragon Slayer trailed off.

"Hooray, hooray! Fairy Tail is #1, Whoohoo!" The blonde beamed and kicked her feet up in happiness. Makarov looked at her, absolutely floored.

"Master Mavis, what are you doing here?!"

Mavis giggled at the old man.

"What else? I came to cheer you on, silly!"

This did not answer Makarov's question… at all…

"Yes, I can see that, but aren't you, y'know, _dead_?!"

"There's no way I was going to miss this, you don't need to worry! Only those who bear our Guild's emblem can see me!"

"Yeah… well… That's not really what I was concerned about…" Makarov weakly protested.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. It's so dull being stuck on Tenrou Island!" Mavis giggled again, and turned her attention back out to the competitors.

Natsu placed hands on his hips as he belted out a laugh.

"Even Master Mavis came out to cheer for us?! We got this in the bag!"

"At least the ghost likes us…" Gray rolled his eyes. He was referring to a number of Sabertooth fans in the crowd, who had started booing them the moment they entered the arena. Natsu then turned to the team from Lamia Scale.

"I've never seen her before…" Natsu remarked as he stared at the small pink-haired girl.

"She looks like a smaller version of that girl, Sherry." Gray mused.

Lyon huffed as he stood over the girl.

"Please try and stay on your feet." The girl nervously chuckled at his tone.

"No promises, Lyon!"

"This is Sherria," Yuka introduced her to Team Fairy Tail. "She's one of Sherry's cousins."

"That makes sense." Natsu nodded his head.

"Arr… And she's crazy strong, to boot!" Toby boasted. Sherria rubbed the back of her head bashfully.

"I'm gonna need a lot more love, if I wanna compete with Sherry!"

"I was praising you!" Toby yelled.

"Calm down and chase a ball or something…" Yuka snapped.

"Being love-crazy must run in the family or something…" Gray smirked.

Lyon smirked as he walked up to his rival.

"Don't forget our agreement, Gray… If we win, Juvia becomes a member of Lamia Scale!"

"Last I checked, I didn't agree to that bet… And I'm pretty sure if she was down here, she'd kick your ass for bringin' it up again." As the silver-haired Ice mage paled, Gray rubbed more salt in the wound. "… Not that it matters, 'cause you guys are gonna lose. We're already one-up on you."

Ichiya slid over to Erza, sparkling as he did so.

"And if we win, I'll be taking Mrs. Dragneel as my One and Only!" The leader of the Trimens grinned. Erza backed away from him, repulsed.

"I'll do no such thing, you troll!"

Ichiya slid behind her and started sniffing with gusto.

"Your Parfum is like candy to my nostrils!"

While Ichiya was getting his ass kicked by a ticked off scarlet knight, Ren slipped on over to Cana, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"And I'll take you, I guess… Not that I'm into you or anything like that."

Cana sweatdropped and readily slipped out of his grasp.

"Nice to know some things never change…" Without a hint of guilt, she tossed a card at the dark-skinned man that instantly electrocuted him.

"Hey, Boss! If we lose, we want to be handed over to this Guild!" Hibiki and Eve chorused as they pointed at Mermaid Heel.

"Man! I was gonna call dibs!" Toby howled.

"Huh… kinda surprised Bacchus didn't join the team representing his Guild." Cana mused as she watched the Quatro Cerberus team all huddled and cheering each other on. Natsu merely tilted his head at the guy in the rabbit costume.

"… I'm more curious about _this_ guy…" His eyes also briefly panned over to the Mermaid Heel team, as the white-haired girl seemed very familiar to him. She looked and smelled so similar to Sorano – and he'd seen her just the day before, so he knew he wasn't imagining it. Plus, that red-haired girl used to be a part of the Raven Tail Guild, at least from what Lucy had told him… Natsu was a little surprised she'd been released by the Rune Knights and allowed to join another Guild, but if they'd put Sorano on probation, why not her, as well?

Needless to say, this surprise was going to be overwhelmed by the next one…

"Now to introduce our Third Place contestant!" Chapati broke up all the chatter going on. "And what a _shocker_! I can't say I ever expected _this_ Guild to be entering the Grand Magic Games! But they've undergone a name change, along with a change in leadership, apparently… Let's give it up for HYDRA ROOTS…"

Obviously, the Guild name didn't ring a bell to anyone, so all eyes were on the five representatives that entered the arena. Simultaneously, various members of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus stared in slack-jawed astonishment, as these five were _very_ familiar. Now standing out in the arena with cocky grins and smirks, the former members of Oracion Seis reveled in the competitors' shock – and in some cases, fury.

"What are _they_ doing here?! They're _criminals_!" Lyon growled indignantly. Jura seemed more calm than his teammate, however.

"Remain calm… As you'll recall, Richard and Angel were affected by Nirvana. Furthermore, they would not have made it this far, if they were really here illegally…"

"Man… this reeks of a distressing Parfum…" Ichiya moaned.

"Hold up, I need some answers here!" Natsu said with a shaky grin, pointing straight at the five members of "Hydra Roots". Sorano was sticking her tongue out at him playfully, while Cobra was rolling his eyes.

Midnight slightly turned to Cobra and whispered.

"So they _don't_ know about the 'wager'?"

"Guess not." Cobra grinned. "Leave it up to those old fossils to keep secrets from their own Guild."

"I thought the jig was up for sure when Salamander ran into Sorano yesterday…" Racer grunted.

"Hmhm… Well, let's just carry on! For Love! OH YEAH!" Richard boisterously gushed, as always.

"We're doing this for _freedom_ , Hoteye…" Cobra and Racer deadpanned together.

"If it gives Richard a meaningful reason to fight, let him do what he wants," Midnight chastised the pair. He glanced at their "Guild's" section of the stands, where their "Master" was sitting with a couple of others.

Up in the Fairy Tail section of the stands, Macao had whirled on Makarov.

"What's the deal, Master?! Isn't that the Oracion Seis?!"

Makarov merely closed his eyes and breathed a sigh.

"If Warrod hadn't let me know about his plans in advance, I assure you I would have been every bit as wary as you are. However, I would trust that man with my life; if he says that he has reformed these kids, then they really have turned over a new leaf. Frankly, I'm more surprised that he got through to those 'reserve members' of his…"

Mavis perked up at the mention of her old friend, and her eyes darted over to the Fourth Wizard Saint, who was smirking right back at her, as he was able to see her, just like every other member of Fairy Tail. What's more, his eyes held a challenge in them that got Mavis all riled up. If this wasn't the gauntlet being thrown to the Fairy Tactician, she didn't know what was. And she'd be darned if she lost to her old friend!

"You are to _win_." Mavis Vermillion told Makarov in no uncertain terms, an intense aura surrounding her. Makarov sweatdropped and nodded his head. Who would've expected these Games to pan out as a game of chess between two of Fairy Tail's founders…?

Well… in part, anyway.

"Rusty?! Azuma?!" Meredy yelped as she got a look at the people sitting next to the "Guild Master" of Hydra Roots. For indeed, two of the former Seven Kin were there, and looking somewhat put out that they weren't down in the arena. With them apparently released from prison, Meredy wondered if Zancrow and Kain had been released as well… but then thought better of it. Those two were the most bloodthirsty of the Kin; very little chance that they were reformed. Azuma had been an honorable warrior from the beginning, and Rusty Rose… Well, he had been an eager fighter as well, but if Warrod Sequen had somehow gotten to him… It put a smile on her face, really. To see two old friends on the path to redeeming themselves, like her and Ultear.

Unsurprisingly, Hades and Brain were absent as well.

"Our war drums beat a soft and steady rhythm… Go forth and earn our freedom…!" Rusty passionately called out to the former members of Oracion Seis. Azuma snorted, while Warrod smiled kindly. He was a fair man; if they did manage to come out ahead of the Fairy Tail team, Warrod would allow them to go wherever they wished.

Of course… if Fairy Tail won, they would be joining the Guild he helped found with Mavis. He felt they would fit well with Mavis's Guild, after he'd had some time to get know these kids. It was highly entertaining to see Fairy Tail's First Master up and about again, after being out on Tenrou Island for such a long time… But he supposed that he couldn't really complain about her timing.

Restoring order to the arena, now that the shocking reveal of Hydra Roots was out of the way, Chapati continued on, announcing the next team.

"Our First Place runner-up is…! Oh, _wow_! This is the first time they've come in Second! That's right! You know them, you love them, now get on your feet and scream for the most powerful Guild in all of Fiore… SABERTOOTH!"

"Sabertooth didn't get the top spot?!" Natsu gaped in shock as Sabertooth's representatives marched into the arena. Sting, Rogue, Minerva, Orga, and Rufus. Though they looked slightly disgruntled at coming in Second, the members of Sabertooth carried themselves with pride and drank in the crowd's energy and enthusiasm.

"You're the best in the whole wide world, Sting!" Lector yelled out from the Sabertooth section of the crowd.

"Look, I'm cheering for you, too, Rogue!" Frosch smiled.

"Can't wait to take these jerks down a peg…" Gray punched his open palm. He then met Natsu's fist bump with a smirk on his face.

"Why so serious? It's just a game." Sting smirked.

"Yeah, it is… But I'm serious about winnin' my games, too!" Natsu cackled.

The stadium grew quiet once more as Chapati's voice range out again.

"And now, for the team that snagged First Place in the Preliminaries…!" Chapati trailed off excitedly. "Oh, _wow_! This year's competition just got a whole lot more interesting, folks…! It's **FAIRY TAIL TEAM B**!"

As their team name was announced, Laxus's lightning flashed in a showy display of the Fairy Tail emblem. The blond was flanked by…

"Gajeel?!" Natsu yelped.

"LAXUS?!" Freed paled instantly.

"KAGURA?!" Erza was taken aback.

"Juvia?! Ultear?!" Gray was getting a bad feeling about this now… those grins they had did not promise anything _good_.

"Wow. Sure did not expect us to have a second team… How the heck is this fair?" Cana muttered and glared suspiciously up at Makarov, who was belting out a laugh.

"Hmm. I certainly didn't expect them to have two teams." Ichiya had his arms crossed.

"Beautiful!" Lyon declared passionately as he gazed admiringly at Juvia.

"Hnn. So _she's_ the one you've been fawning over…" Sherria growled.

"Of course they got two teams in… I wouldn't expect anything less!" Hibiki smirked.

Rogue, meanwhile, seemed a little more vested in the contest, now that he could see Gajeel was going to be participating for certain. Sting elbowed him in the ribs playfully.

"Looks like Gajeel and Laxus and joining the party!"

"How come they have _two_ teams?!" Of course, not everyone took this turn of events well – Rocker of Quatro Cerberus being the first to make a complaint. "That's way past Wild, man!"

Chapati sweatdropped a little.

"You know, I think the newly implemented rules have left our audience a little perplexed, Mister Yajima… Care to explain?"

Yajima nodded his head.

"Sure thing! The committee in charge of the Grand Magic Games permitted each Guild to enter two teams, which they felt would make the Preliminaries more exciting!"

"Why didn't you tell us this was your plan, Gramps?!" Gray yelled out. Makarov just belted out another laugh.

"Nwahahaha! Ya like that?! This is how the Fairy Tail Guild takes care of business, baby!"

"I'm not sure the committee really thought this new rule through…" Chapati mused. "I mean, this is a _team-based_ competition! Won't having two teams from the same Guild kind of stack the odds?"

"Hmm…" Yajima hummed and waved off his fellow commentator. "You worry too much… To be honest, I don't think it'll be much of a problem."

"Well, it's _totally_ unfair, if you ask me." Jenny argued. "Let's say there's an event where each team chooses a member to compete against the others in a battle royale… There's nothing to stop the Fairy Tail members from teaming up with each other!"

"It _does_ give them an advantage…" Chapati conceded. "But I guess that's their reward for being the only Guild with both their teams clearing the Preliminary Round…"

"Hahaha… You certainly have the upper hand. Way to go, Maky!" Yajima congratulated his old friend.

"Maky?" Chapati tilted his head in confusion, as Fairy Tail's Third Master continued to cackle proudly.

"So that's why there were so many Guilds…" Erza pieced together that mystery. Natsu, meanwhile, confronted Team B.

"This is a big load of CRAP!" The Dragon Slayer roared, pointing challengingly at them. "Being in the same Guild don't mean _jack_. If I fight against any of you, I'm not pullin' any punches! As long as we're in this tournament, you're my enemies, and I ain't gonna lose to ANY of you!"

Gajeel met him head-on and gloated.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Salamander… I'm lookin' forward to making you eat dirt!"

"Gajeel's a lot stronger than he was three months ago…" Panther Lily taunted his fellow Exceed. Happy held up his paw.

"Well, Natsu's no creampuff, either!"

"Team B's got some serious power, it won't be easy to take them down!" Romeo grinned as he was standing next to the two Exceeds.

Laxus was standing in front of Freed.

"What's the matter? You look terrified, Mister Representative." The blond smirked, knowing Freed had been quite proud to be selected, despite wanting Laxus to have the position when the selection was first made.

"Th-That's because… I am…" Freed trailed off with wide eyes. How was he supposed to fight against the man that the Thunder Legion served?! It wasn't fair!

Erza, meanwhile, was conversing with Kagura.

"So, I take it this was Ultear's idea…?"

Kagura closed her eyes solemnly.

"Master wished to take advantage of every opportunity… Ultear's goal of detecting the source of the Magic similar to Zeref's simply lined up with Master Makarov's goal; my reasons for participating are my own." Which basically boiled down to helping Fairy Tail win the Games, and backing Erza up, if she needed it… Kagura was a little less concerned about that strange Magic than her teammate. Though, perhaps if the members of Hydra Roots were willing, they could be an ally on that front; Cobra and Richard possessed excellent abilities for perceiving anything strange.

Now that the teams were announced, Chapati decided to move along with the proceedings.

"All in all, I'd say we have an impressive group of Wizards here! Any comments on our lineup, Mister Yajima?"

"Yeah…" Yajima sighed wistfully. "Mermaid Heel makes me pine for my youth…"

Chapati sweatdropped.

"Um… That's not _quite_ what I meant…" The commentator sheepishly replied. "We've kept everyone waiting looong enough! It's time we unveiled the schedule for this year's tournament!"

As he said this, a stone slab rose in the middle of the arena that all the participants began to read.

"There's gonna be _a lot_ of action in the next few days…" Gray mused.

"Now we're talkin'!" Natsu grinned.

"Each day will begin with a contest," Chapati explained what was on the stone slab. "Participants will then be ranked from First to Eighth Place. The teams will be rewarded Points depending on how well they rank in the contest! Additionally, the teams will be able to select which member they want to compete! After that, we have battles… These bouts should come as a real treat to all of you loyal fans, since it was your suggestions that created these matchups!"

"Interesting…" Erza murmured.

"It seems like they get to choose who fights who." Gray muttered.

"So, if you don't watch how much Magic you use, you can find yourself thrown into a battle without any time to rest… Huh." Cana certainly didn't like the sound of that, but they did have some tanks on their team, so…

"The battle rules are simple," Chapati continued. "Each team will square off as shown here. The winning teams will be rewarded 10 Points, while the losing teams get jack-squat! In the case of a draw, both teams will be awarded 5 Points! Ready for action? Let's get things started with the first contest of the Grand Magic Games, one that we call 'Hidden'!"

Out in the crowd, people could be heard murmuring.

"'Hidden'? What's that?"

"How should I know?" Another spectator deadpanned.

"At this time, we'd like each team to select one member to compete! Once your selections have been made, the rules will be explained in their entirety!"

On the Quatro Cerberus team, one of their bigger members clenched his fists in determination.

"Let me start us off right!"

"It's all yours! May the Wild be with you, brother!" Rocker gave his consent. He then cheered with the rest of his team. "GO WILD!"

"The first member has stepped forward!" Chapati announced, an image of the mage with a sparkly background behind him appearing on all the screens hovering over the coliseum. The same would happen with the other participants. "Representing Quatro Cerberus, it's Yeager!"

Mermaid Heel was quick to follow suit.

"The first one'll be easy, I'll size up our opponents!" A brunette vowed.

"We're counting on you!" Risley beamed.

"From Mermaid Heel, the adorable Beth Vanderwood!" Chapati confirmed the nomination.

Cobra turned to Midnight.

"… You want me to go, or should I?"

Midnight shook his head.

"I'll go. I like the sound of it…" The raven-haired man smirked.

"From Hydra Roots, Midnight!" Chapati proclaimed.

"I'll take this one!" Eve straightened his tie. Ichiya cast a sparkling aura around the blond.

"We're sending you out there in style!"

"Look out, ladies, here comes Eve!" Hibiki, Ren, and the person in the bunny suit cheered their comrade on.

"Blue Pegasus sends out Eve Tilm!" Chapati announced. "You gotta love those lively cheers!"

Rufus tipped his hat dramatically.

"I shall handle this… I'm feeling inspired by the very birds' lovely songs!" He then removed his hat suavely.

"Keep your eyes on this one, folks! From Sabertooth, the man who sings to the red moon, it's Rufus Lore!" Chapati dramatically introduced him.

Sherria looked to her teammates eagerly.

"It sounds like the smaller you are in this game, the better! So it's down to me or Yuka!"

"Who are you calling small?" Yuka groused. Lyon merely smirked.

"No. We shall take the lead from the start. Just leave it to me."

"From Lamia Scale, Lyon Vastia!" Chapati announced.

Gray smirked.

"Yeah…? In that case, I got this one. Let's see what this game's all about." He smugly remarked.

"From Fairy Tail Team A, the icy Gray Fullbuster!" Chapati announced.

Juvia calmly stepped forward.

"In that case, I…" However, Juvia felt a firm hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Laxus staring over at Sabertooth.

"… You sit this one out, Juvia. I remember this Rufus guy all too well – I can _definitely_ take him down."

"From Fairy Tail Team B, Laxus Dreyar!" Chapati announced the final selection with a grin. "All the competitors have been chosen, and the long wait is finally over! Grab a refreshment and get glued to your seat, 'cause you're not gonna want to miss a single nail-biting moment of **Hidden**!"

With these words, the Grand Magic Games were finally underway…

* * *

 **Author's Note: Aaand… cue Ending 13. ^_^ Wazzat? It's only been 2-3 days? *Le Gasp* XD Ah, but this arc has been a long time in coming. I worked out the Point Totals/battles this past weekend, so now all that's left to do is write it all out. I really wanna make a down-to-the-wire tournament; no "Fairy Tail ahead by 8 points, can Sting beat the Fairy Tail mages and claim First Place?" NO. That last day is gonna be insane. XD**

 **I'm sure you've got** _ **looots**_ **of questions! Well, the story will reveal the answers at its own pace. ^_^ I'm just so happy I got to the Hydra Roots reveal; I was drawing a blank on their Guild name, and that came to me a couple days ago. Another little change was Azuma and Rusty being a part of it; I was originally reserving everything Grimoire Heart-related for the Tartaros Arc, but I felt… why not? They're two of my fav characters, and they'll make interesting antiheroes, if nothing else. And no friggin' Blueberry to boss 'em around, either. … Or any of the former Seis, for that matter.**

 **So yeah, I'm stoked to be in this arc now. Third-to-last arc, technically, 'cause I'm only gonna do Tartaros and Alvarez, after his. Little to no filler, which means no Sun Village, Eclipse Spirit, Avatar, etc. I would do those, but… well… If the last filler demonstrated anything, I struggle with it. Filler is hell. Grr.**

 **I got 12K words written between yesterday and today, so I hope you appreciate the rate this got pumped out… I can't promise future chapters will come out just as quickly, but wouldn't that be nice? I hope you all enjoyed this a bit.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Point-in-Time: July X791**

* * *

"Now, will each team's participant in the Hidden game kindly step forward?" The pumpkin-headed man now stood in the middle of the arena, the big grin on the pumpkin head as unnatural and creepy as ever.

"See ya later!" Gray waved lazily at his team.

"You got this!" Cana encouraged him, while Natsu pointed at him.

"You better not lose, Snowflake! You hear that, pal?! We're better than Gajeel's team, and those Saber jerks, and…" Natsu trailed off as Erza placed a reproving hand on his shoulder.

"There are two questions on everyone's mind," Chapati remarked. "First and foremost – just what kind of game will Hidden be? And who would you say is the favorite in this contest?"

Yajima stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm… That's a hard one. It's safe to say Rufus of Sabertooth is a crowd favorite, but Laxus and Gray certainly have fans in their corner."

"Let's ask Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus!"

The blond smiled and looked at her fellow commentators out of the corner of her eye.

"My fav…? I'll be rooting for Eve, of course. He's got this one in the bag!"

Down in the arena, Rufus, Midnight, Beth, Eve, Yeager, Gray, Laxus, and Lyon had all gathered around the pumpkin-headed man. Laxus had his arms crossed, and was smirking at the Ice mage.

"Just stay out of my way, and you might survive with a few points to walk away with."

Gray rolled his eyes.

"I won't go easy on you, either. You guys poppin' up out of the blue mighta caught us off-guard, but it doesn't change anything. I'll give you my all." Laxus nodded with a modicum of respect, and Gray focused on the man in front of them all. "You know, I got one question I've been dyin' to ask… What are you?"

This seemed to unnerve the pumpkin-headed man.

"Wh-Who, me?! My silly boy, I'm a pumpkin! As you can… plainly see…?" He could see that Gray wasn't playing around.

"Sorry, was I not supposed to ask you that? It's just in all the years we've played, we've never seen who's behind the mask."

Beth sheepishly grinned.

"I always figured he had to be someone on the event staff in a costume." Her eyes then widened in realization, as did Eve's, and they bowed towards him respectfully. "Good job, sir, you've created an excellent character!"

The man then balanced on one leg, spreading out his arms.

"Why, thank you! But I'm only really doing this because it's so FUN-kin!"

Gray sweatdropped.

"Those bad puns are gonna get old real quick…" No sooner had the Ice mage said that, than did the pumpkin-headed man raise his arms high.

"OPEN THE FIELD!" Before everyone's eyes, a whole town materialized in the arena, surrounding the players and the mascot.

"WHOA! They can fit an entire town right in the middle of the arena?!" Happy was impressed.

"I've never seen anything like it before…" Makarov whispered.

"A manifestation on such a large scale… Just how much Magic does _that_ require?" Ultear asked with a hint of suspicion.

Once the town had dwarfed all the players, becoming life-sized from their perspective, Gray looked around to see that he was by himself. Apparently, not only did the town manifest, but it shuffled all the players off to random locations.

"Laxus?! Lyon?!" Gray called out, but received no answer. "Where the heck did everyone go?"

"All the others just disappeared…" Laxus said from his place near what looked like a marketplace. In an alleyway, Lyon muttered to himself.

"Now I see… So this is the game, is it?" He started walking down the alley.

"High stakes hide-and-seek…" Eve grinned from his position. Beth looked around where she was.

"Should I be hidin'…? Or should I be seekin' instead?"

Midnight smirked with his hands casually in his pockets. He had a good feeling about this game, which meant waves of dread would be filling his opponents soon enough… Similarly, in another area of town, Rufus was grinning away madly. And in yet another area, Yeager was walking around warily.

"I used to play this game when I was a little kid… Is there somebody looking for us?"

"Those of you in the stands can catch all of the exciting action in crystal clear Lacrima vision!" Chapati then chuckled. "I'll bet our eight contestants wish they had that luxury, but that'd make it too easy! Speaking of easy, here are the rules of the game! All the players are hiding _and_ seeking, at the _same_ time!"

"What does _that_ mean?" Natsu muttered from his place with Erza, Cana, and Freed.

"The objective of Hidden is to locate the other players," Chapati continued to explain. "Once you've done that, you have to land an attack on them! The first player that successfully connects their attack – whether or not it does any damage – will then be awarded one Point!"

Gray noticed something else materializing in the town as Chapati continued talking.

"Wait… what's that?" Pretty soon, he could see that it was a crowd of duplicates that now surrounded him, and that put him on edge. They were doppelgangers of all the players, including himself – though they didn't seem to be capable of movement. "Oh, man… There's _hundreds_ of them!"

Cana tapped her chin.

"What's with all the lookalikes…?" She then noticed Natsu hunched over with a sickly-looking face. "… What's with you?"

"The thought of that many Gray's really grosses me out, man…!" Natsu queasily answered.

"That's _extremely_ difficult…" Erza muttered. "Even after knowing Gray for all these years, I'd probably have trouble finding the real one…"

Gray inspected a Lyon duplicate warily, keeping a calm exterior. As he did, Chapati continued explaining the rules.

"I know they're pretty, but those copies aren't just for show, folks! Attack one of your fake competitors by mistake, and it'll cost you one Point! It's time to disappear like a black cat in a dark alleyway… Fade into your surroundings, and hide in plain sight!" A gong was sounded, announcing that the game was now underway. "Let's play HIDDEN!"

"This game isn't really about hiding as much as it is about seeking…" Yeager mumbled. "It's gonna be real tough finding out who the real enemies are in here…"

As Laxus looked around, he couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief, for more than one reason. The first being that these duplicates lacked any kind of scent… And second… If he hadn't stopped Juvia, they would be playing catch-up straight from the outset. She would go absolutely _nuts_ seeing this many Gray's, and indeed, from where the Water mage was with the rest of Team B, she was hyperventilating at the mere _sight_ of so many copies of the Ice Make Wizard.

"One more thing…" Chapati remarked. "In the event you attack a duplicate and you lose one Point, you will be put into a ten-second timeout and forced to start from another part of the arena! The same is true if you are attacked by another player! One Point taken off, timeout, and then starting all over again from somewhere else! You are allowed as many restarts as you need, but the clock _is_ ticking! The game will last for thirty minutes, and of course whoever has the most Points at the end takes First Place!"

Gray took a deep, calming breath to prevent himself from losing his nerve. He wasn't a sensory type like Laxus; this was gonna be absolute _hell_ for him! But… he could improvise. Making a number of Ice Make: Clones, Gray intended to have a makeshift radar around his general area; if he didn't perceive anyone suspicious, and they did, they could alert him to their location. Of course… they'd have to be careful. He did _not_ want to cost Team A any Points.

Though… looking around, it was _so_ damn nerve-wracking to have so many copies of that guy from Oracion Seis around. He remembered all too well how Erza explained that this guy could make you confuse illusion with reality… He'd have to be careful to not get caught up in that guy's web.

Meanwhile, Laxus had sniffed out his first target. In a flash, the blond had zigzagged behind Eve in a lightning bolt and rematerialized just in time to punch him into a nearby wall.

"Nothing personal, kid… It's just the way you play the game." Laxus straightened his stance the moment Eve was whisked away to another location. His Point counter went up one, while Eve was below 0 now.

"Well! It seems like Laxus is the one kicking us off, as he drops down on the unsuspecting Eve and gains Fairy Tail Team B 1 Point!" Chapati announced excitedly. In the next moment, Laxus took off in another lightning bolt, in search of other opponents. Yajima nodded sagely as the screens tried to keep track of his friend's grandson.

"Hardly a surprise, but let's see how Gray's doing, hmm…? He seems to have his hands full now…"

As Mister Yajima stated this, someone seemed to burst forth from the ground close to where the real Ice Make mage was seemingly standing.

"CARROT MISSILES!" Beth instantly called out her attack but was shocked when her attack made 'Gray' shatter into a million ice shards. The brunette cursed under her breath. "Shoot…! I totally missed that guy! WHOA!"

As she said this, a big plant with thorns burst out from under her and gained Quatro Cerberus 1 Point, while deducting 1 from Mermaid Heel.

"HAHA!" Yeager boisterously laughed. "Aw, yeah! I was sick of waiting for the chance to use Magic…!"

No sooner had he said that than did Lyon slam an Ice Make attack into him.

"So was I…!" He abruptly looked to a nearby rooftop when he perceived numerous Ice needles headed his way, jumping out of the way just in time. However, he wasn't expecting the Gray on the rooftop to be another Clone, and so winced as he took a jump-kick to his backside. Gray skidded to a halt and smirked at his rival.

"Told ya you weren't gonna win your dumb bet…" Gray tensed as Lyon shimmered away. That fighter's instinct was the only thing that saved him, as the moment he took a single sidestep, Laxus ran right by him in lightning bolt form. "Jeez… Talk about a hotspot. Guh!"

Gray threw up an Ice wall the moment Laxus changed his form again and discharged at the same time to try and catch Gray off-guard… Obviously, this wasn't cutting it.

"Damn… You're a lot more fluid than I remember…" Laxus smirked as the Ice wall proceeded to crack and shoot out at him in millions of tiny shards. If even one hit him, it'd be 1 Point for Team A…

"Don't forget I'm S-Class, too." Gray growled as Laxus easily maneuvered under all the shards in lightning bolt form and came barreling toward him again. Left out of options, Gray dispersed himself into molecules of Ice and scattered just as the Lightning Dragon Slayer moved in to impale him. A few moments later, Gray reassembled, and Laxus took his human form once again. "What is your deal?! Keep wasting your time coming after me, and you're not gonna be 'racking up the Points' like you want!"

Laxus smirked back at him.

"Wouldn't you like to know…?" The blond fondly recalled the little 'bet' Makarov allowed Team B to take him, regaling Gray at the same time.

* * *

"Are you kiddin' me?! Why the hell do I gotta be on the 'backup' team?! Just swap one of Team A's members for me!" Gajeel grumbled as he shook his fist at the Guild Master.

But Makarov turned his nose up at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Sorry, but I refuse to change up the formulas. You will be on Team B, or you won't participate at all!"

Laxus rolled his eyes at his Grandpa's stubbornness.

"Well, I don't have any objections... But getting put on the B-Team _is_ kind of insulting."

"And what if I sweeten the deal…?" Makarov raised his pointer finger and grinned smarmily. "Yes. The members of the winning team get to do whatever they want to the losing team for one entire day!"

Panther Lily crossed his arms in annoyance.

"That sounds to me more like a Punishment Game for the ones on the bottom…"

"Whatever we want, huh…?" Laxus got a glint in his eye as he pictured himself bossing Natsu around.

 _"Hey! Go get me some food!" Dream-Laxus barked._

 _"Right away, Mister Laxus!" Dream-Natsu cheerily went to fulfill his Master's demand._

Beside him, Gajeel was having a similar daydream.

"One whole day…?" He pictured Cana being forced in a bunny-girl suit. She wasn't Lucy, but she'd do nicely.

 _"Shake it, baby!" Dream-Gajeel, dressed in his stage getup, played a guitar as the brunette was forced to dance._

 _"With pleasure!" Dream-Cana beamed._

Ultear grinned at the prospect. She had… more than a couple ideas.

 _"Now tell me again… What am I?" Dream-Ultear sat comfortably on Dream-Natsu's lap and cuddled him._

 _"You're… my Mistress…" Dream-Natsu sighed in defeat as she purred and shifted about in his lap, arousing his 'little dragon'. "… My sexy, naughty Mistress…"_

 _Meanwhile, Dream-Erza was chained to a wall like a dog and forced to watch the "heavy petting session". And Dream-Gray was waltzing around in a butler uniform as he cleaned her home and catered to Dream-Ultear and Dream-Natsu's every whim._

Kagura stared blankly into space at being made the offer. There wasn't anything she would want Natsu and Erza to do… except maybe leave her alone with Mikoto for the day. Though… maybe she could also pull Freed away from Mira for a day and clash swords with him. She'd been meaning to have a little contest with him for a while now…

"Anything we want?!" And of course, Juvia had no trouble imagining a dream sequence…

 _"If Master says I have to do this, then… I've got no choice…" Dream-Gray sultrily breathed as he gazed longingly into Dream-Juvia's eyes._

 _"That's true…" Dream-Juvia whispered._

* * *

Back in the present, Juvia gushed as she experienced that daydream again. On the battlefield, Gray twitched, and the Lacrima Vision focused on him as he yelled out to Makarov.

"Is this some kind of joke?! Hey, Gramps! If you're gonna make crazy rules like that, then they've gotta be fair! That means they better work if our team wins this thing, too!"

Makarov grinned sheepishly and sweatdropped.

"Yes, of course they will…"

Natsu smirked mischievously by Erza's side.

"Yeah… I know exactly what I want…" The Dragon Slayer snickered.

 _"Gimme a Happy impression!" Dream-Natsu smugly ordered Laxus and Gajeel._

 _"Aye!" The Dream-duo chorused with a high pitch._

Cana looked at Natsu with disbelief.

"Hold on… That's _all_ you'd want from them…?"

Natsu merely gave a Cheshire grin in return, and Erza shook her head with a smirk of her own. Ohohoho… That Time Witch's comeuppance would come… And Freed, meanwhile, stared blankly off into space at the prospect of ordering _Laxus_ around… He wouldn't even know what to do with that kind of power!

Back out on the playing field, Laxus grinned at the Ice Make Wizard impishly.

"Yeah… So if you don't mind, I'll be taking a Point from you now…" Laxus extended one arm toward his opponent while his back was turned, and a larger arm made entirely of lightning surged forward at blinding speed. As expected, Gray scattered into Ice particles again to avoid the hit… barely. "You can't keep dodging forever!"

"Don't need to." A Clone of Gray replied smugly from somewhere behind Laxus. The Lightning Dragon Slayer whirled around to get at it just in case it was the real deal, but he was shocked when he slid on a patch of Ice Make: Floor and fell on his face. He growled lowly as that counted as an "attack".

"Cheap shot…" Laxus grunted and got up on one knee before he was teleported off to another location. The real Gray materialized again from the Ice particles and grinned with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Oh, like you were much better, Taser-Breath. Tch. That took way too long to set up…" Gray rolled his eyes and took off in search of other opponents. He couldn't waste time gloating over his first major win (Lyon was a cakewalk, compared to the Dragon Slayer); Laxus was gonna get him back when he least expected it, and he needed to rack up the Points before that happened.

The dark-haired mage stopped in his tracks as he saw it beginning to snow in the town…

"Well, would you look at this?! Our city is turning into a Winter Wonderland!" Chapati chuckled.

"That's _gotta_ be Eve…" Jenny smirked as she leaned her chin into her palm.

"It's a shame there are some Wizards here who are unaffected by the cold… But most of them are!" Eve confidently stated from his crouched position.

Ichiya nodded in understanding.

"I see… When people get cold they start to shiver, and you can see steam from their breath!"

"But it doesn't work that way for the copies." Ren added with a smirk.

"Pretty smart strategy!" Hibiki agreed.

Eve perked up as he spotted an opponent.

"I can see you! Right there!" Eve swept Yeager and Beth both into a frigid wave, gaining 2 Points, putting him at 1 after he'd lost to Laxus earlier. However, Lyon had located the blond now, and was set to unleash some ice sculptures on him when Midnight got between the two.

"Too slow." The dark-haired man sneered before using his Reflector Magic to send Scythe slashes toward both of them, claiming 2 Points for himself.

That brought the current scores to…

Gray: 2

Midnight: 2

Laxus: 0

Rufus: 0

Eve: 0

Lyon: -1

Yeager: -1

Beth: -2

From here, the players only got more desperate as their time had already dwindled down to twenty five minutes. Laxus in particular gained momentum as he took out Beth, Yeager, Lyon, Gray, and Eve in successive fashion while he avoided any losses. But it's not like Gray was far behind, particularly stumbling upon Eve and Lyon multiple times. The only player that was avoided like the plague was Midnight, since not only could he create illusions, but he could repel their attacks altogether.

… At least, when they were one-on-one with him. But even then, they couldn't be sure their "tentative alliance" with a player was real due to Midnight's illusions, so it was all the more reason to not take any chances. Once Gray and Laxus were tied up at 5 Points, Midnight was at 4 Points, Lyon at 3 Points, Eve at 2 Points, Beth at 1 Point, and Yeager at 0 Points, Rufus finally decided to make his play with so little time left.

"I find this game dreadfully boring…" The masked member of Sabertooth stood atop a tall spire calmly, despite being seen by all the other players. "I've committed this Song to memory… The rhythm of their heartbeats, their footsteps, and the tone of their Magic…"

In the Fairy Tail section of the stands, Lucy sweatdropped.

"That's a pretty conspicuous hiding place, if you ask me…"

"You think he _wants_ the other guys to find him for some reason?" Elfman asked from his place not too far from her.

"GRAY! Right above you!" Natsu hollered from where he was with Team A.

Rufus smirked.

"It's all there… inside my mind." He started to channel his Magic, which darkened the playing field but lit up the other players. Then, he called out, "Memory Make: Night of Shooting Stars!"

In the next moment, seven streaks of light shot out from him and attempted to take out his opponents in one fell swoop, but a few things happened right at the moment the blows would have connected. First, Midnight's Reflector Magic kept him safe from Rufus's attack. Secondly, Laxus dodged, and he immediately followed up by attacking Midnight, who he knew wouldn't be able to defend himself with his Reflector Magic preoccupied. Unfortunately, Gray had slightly underestimated the speed of Rufus's attack, and that cost him a Point with the other Players.

There was still about a minute before the game would be called, so everyone scrambled to make one last turnaround…

"There's gotta be one more chump nearby…" Gray growled as he charged desperately through the streets. He whirled around at feeling a piercing gaze on his back, and found Midnight casually leaning against a wall.

"Well, there's you…" The former Dark Mage intoned, showing no shock when Gray attempted a double-pronged attack on him. However, both attacks phased right through him, revealing him to be an illusion. In the next moment, Gray felt an invisible scythe slicing into his back… Reflector Magic. Which meant Midnight gained another Point, while he lost one.

And that seemed to settle the pecking order for the game. The "city" faded, as did the Lacrima Vision screens overhead.

"And with that, the game is _over_!" Chapati announced. "Let's take a look at the ol' scoreboard!"

Given the final scores of Hidden – Laxus: 6, Rufus: 5, Midnight: 4, Gray: 3, Lyon: 2, Eve: 1, Beth: 0, and Yeager: -1 – it was clear that Fairy Tail Team A wasn't doing all that great yet… Hell, nothing had changed from the order everyone had when they cleared the Sky Labyrinth, which was quite interesting.

"THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY PITIFUL, LYON!" Ooba howled, spinning her arm furiously. 3 Points was all that Lamia Scale had earned with their ranking. "Have you no shame?!"

"P-Please, Master! You really need to calm down!" A random Lamia Scale member pleaded.

"He coulda done worse, I guess…" Ren grimaced, as it became clear that all they'd earned in the first event was garner 2 Points.

"Ehehe…" Hibiki meekly chuckled.

Arana placed her hands on her hips.

"Seventh Place, huh…? We have to step up our game…"

"Well, we gotta give Beth some credit for trying…" Risley chuckled sheepishly.

Gray returned to his team in a slouch. He'd started off good, but he just couldn't keep up with Laxus. Not in a game tailor-made for Dragon Slayers. What chafed a bit was that Rufus only had to attack the once to net Second Place…

"Sorry, guys… Looks like all we're gettin' is 4 Points for this round." Gray muttered. Erza turned down his apology.

"It'll be fine. Every Point matters, and I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to make up for it."

"Like in the battles comin' up!" Cana chipped in.

"Right…" Gray conceded, but frowned as Natsu berated him for the result of the first game.

"What was that, Icicle?! I coulda beat Laxus, the masked weirdo, and that goth guy with one hand tied behind my back!" The Dragon Slayer raged. A tick mark appeared on Gray's forehead.

"'Scuse me for not havin' your dumbass nose and ears, flameturd!"

"Oh, you're excused." Natsu snarked, prompting Gray to take a step toward him menacingly. But before they could initiate anything, Freed stepped in.

"Calm down, the battles will be starting soon. Any of us could be selected at a moment's notice."

As both rivals heeded Freed's words – as well as Erza's stern glare – Laxus returned to his team rather triumphantly.

"We have a lead of six Points~." Ultear crooned. Laxus shrugged his shoulders lazily.

"I guess so. Can't get too complacent, though. The battles could give Team A the momentum they need; all depends on the matchups."

"You kiddin' me?! We're gonna kick ass!" Gajeel scowled. "Team A's the one that has to put in the work to catch up…"

"But that can be a very good motivator…" Kagura pointed out.

The Fairy Tail section of the stands was buzzing with excitement with the results displayed. Bickslow and Evergreen were the most vocal, seeing as how Laxus had come out on top. Elfman was somewhat disappointed Gray hadn't done better, but he offered exuberant praise for Laxus. And yet others were feeling bad for Gray.

"It's really too bad… After he beat Laxus that first time, I thought for sure he would win." Lisanna remarked while holding Mikoto up in her arms, and Ryo stood to the left of her. Mira smiled wryly.

"I hate to say it, but Laxus had the edge. Gray's just not the tracker type. Good instincts and reflexes, so he's not easily caught off-guard, but you needed to be able to find the others reliably in a game like this. Otherwise, you'd waste time searching aimlessly."

Lisanna hummed thoughtfully.

"I guess… But why aren't you competing, Sis? That bet the Master came up with sounds right up your alley."

Mira sighed wistfully. She would have _loved_ to have been on Team B; it's true. She would've had something in mind for each member of Team A to do, and she would have enjoyed herself very much. But… Ultear had a point about someone needing to be on standby if something happened while the Games were going on. It was doubtful, but there was always a chance with that strange Magic popping up every year. And it was her job to step up and take charge in such an event.

Although…

"Well~, if someone substitutes out, I'll hop on in. I wouldn't miss out on the fun, Lisanna." Mira gave a nonanswer, beaming all the while. Lisanna frowned, but didn't press further, as she knew Mira must have had her reasons. Instead, she helped Mikoto get the attention of her dad, who waved and grinned back.

"Well, Team B did well, but Team A needs to get with the program." Mavis grumbled with a pout. Evidently, she was not happy with Gray… Letting Warrod's team get ahead of Team A like that.

Makarov grinned nervously and tried calming her down.

"Now, now! I'm sure we'll see a turnaround in the battles! Just wait!" The Third Master sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as Mavis's scowl did not waver. Nothing fired her up like a good competition…

Meanwhile, Rufus seemed annoyed with coming in Second, thus earning 8 Points, but Midnight just shrugged and returned to his team.

"6 Points isn't so bad…" Sorano mused. While her attention had mainly been on Midnight during the game, she would occasionally shoot a glance over at Mermaid Heel, as she felt a pair of eyes boring into her, and she knew precisely who was watching her with such interest…

"But we can do a lot better." Racer bluntly added, arms crossed impatiently. "We gotta beat both those Fairy teams if we want our freedom."

"Oh, I'm sure everything will work out! Oh yeah!" Richard gushed, which made Racer berate him again in annoyance.

Midnight noticed Cobra's mind seemed to be elsewhere as he stared at a seemingly random area of the stands. From what Midnight could see, there was no Guilds seated in that area, but Cobra's eyes were narrowed all the same.

"Everything alright?" Midnight asked, standing next to the Dragon Slayer with hands in his pockets.

Cobra didn't reply immediately.

"… Nothing that concerns us. Not right now, anyway." The maroon-haired Dragon Slayer eventually said. There was a complexity to his tone that had Midnight curious, but he didn't question Cobra further. If he said it was nothing for them to worry about, then they'd disregard whatever Cobra had heard and focus on the Games.

Obviously, Quatro Cerberus was the most dissatisfied out of all the teams, having gotten 0 Points.

"Well, who coulda seen this coming, folks?! The order of teams hasn't been shaken up yet!" Chapati excitedly remarked. "But maybe that'll finally change, because it seems like it's time to move onto the Battle part of the contest! One member of each team will participate in a match, but this isn't a tournament setup!"

"It's the Games' organizers who decides who'll be duking it out in the battles, right?" Jenny asked for confirmation.

"I'm sure they'll set up some particular displays of Magical skills!" Yajima smiled. Chapati held up a sheet of paper to read.

"I've just received the lineup, so we'll found out just how spectacular those will be!" Chapati cleared his throat. "Our very first match of this year's Grand Magic Games will test the abilities of Fairy Tail Team A's Master of Enchantments, Freed Justine…"

Freed stepped forward and placed a hand on the hilt of his blade solemnly.

"I am ready to do my part…" However, as he looked forward, he was surprised to see his opponent standing across from him before Chapati officially announced it, though in hindsight, he shouldn't have been…

"… against the all-hearing Cobra of Hydra Roots!"

"Bully for you. I'm probably your worst possible matchup, Mister Enchantment Master!" Cobra sneered with a wide, dark grin.

Freed frowned as the implications of this match started to set in. As he recalled, this was the Dragon Slayer of the Oracion Seis – a man that not only wielded Poison, but exceptional hearing, as well. To the point that it seemed like he could hear a person's very thoughts.

 _'And yet Natsu found a way to defeat him, so he is not invincible…'_

Cobra rolled his eyes at his opponent's predictably hopeful thoughts. True, Salamander had handed him his ass seven years ago. Hell, he'd lost his partner, Cubelios. That did not mean he had remained stagnant for all these years…

"I'm a little shocked the event staff didn't want to start off with a battle of dragons…" Sorano mused with hands on her hips. "There's five other Dragon Slayers in this competition, after all."

Midnight leaned casually against their tunnel wall. The first matchup didn't interest him too much; Cobra would be up against one of Fairy Tail's S-Class Wizards, but he didn't have as fierce of a reputation, compared to the others.

"I'm certain such a matchup will come along, sooner or later… There's no rush to get the crowd so worked up." Midnight drawled. Racer snickered across from Midnight, leaning against the tunnel wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Either way, this should be easy pickings for us!"

Richard offered no comment, though his eyes strayed to the Fairy Tail section of the stands, particularly homing in on his brother. This did not go unnoticed by Sorano, though for the time being she kept quiet. Her face was carefully blank, hiding her emotions well.

"I WANNA SEE CARNAGE OUT THERE, FREED!" Mavis screamed, causing many a Fairy Tail Wizard to sweatdrop.

Thank Kami only they could hear her… Their beloved First Master was not the angel that history tried to say she was.

"Relax, First Master! There ain't many Wizards that can take Freed in a one-on-one fight!" Bickslow tried calming her down.

"Yeah! Don't pressure him with your stupid rivalry!" Evergreen added. Comically, she and Bickslow shrank away from Mavis's stormy glare that could rival Erza's, on her best day.

"Using me as a human meat shield isn't MANLY!" Elfman yelped, but the two members of the Thunder Legion weren't having it.

Lisanna turned to face Kinana, who was a few seats toward the back. She was honestly just looking around aimlessly, but the purple-haired barmaid's face had caught her eye.

"Something wrong, Kinana?"

Kinana reopened her eyes and looked back at Lisanna. She knew the question was posed good-naturedly, but she couldn't help but blush a little as a few eyes were turned her way.

"I'm fine! Just a small headache, but it's gone now!" She assured the youngest Strauss sibling, and that seemed to satisfy everyone's curiosity. Though Lisanna notably maintained eye contact for a few moments longer than the rest.

Kinana's eyes returned to looking at the now-frowning Cobra, down on the field. He wasn't even looking up at her, but she couldn't help drinking him in with her eyes. He oozed familiarity.

 _'Are you the one that's been calling me…?'_ He definitely rang some distant bells in her foggy memories, but she still couldn't discern who he was to her…

A gong was sounded, indicating the match had officially begun. Neither participant budged for several moments, before it became clear that Cobra was "graciously" giving Freed the opportunity to strike first. The Enchantment Master didn't _like_ rushing in recklessly, but he would have to gauge his opponent's strength and versatility sooner or later, and they _were_ operating on a thirty-minute timer.

Cobra's eyes bulged, and his sneer widened as the green-haired mage came charging at him with a burst of speed. No fancy runes just yet, no Magic to enhance his speed or strength. Freed was using only his power as he drew his blade and slashed at Cobra many times.

"Not half bad! Can't say anyone's tried coming up with so many intricate plans in one go, but your thoughts will still betray you, in the end!" Cobra danced around Freed's sword strikes fluidly, even parrying a few of them when they proved to be broad strokes. Freed could have tried to plant runes on the Dragon Slayer in any of those instances, but he couldn't be sure his opponent wouldn't see through that. He refused to believe that his strategy of clouding his mind was completely ineffective; the moment he stopped believing in that was the moment he conceded defeat.

Natsu might have been able to fight a battle using pure instinct, but Freed could not. His style was to be calculative, and adapt when needed. An opponent that could read his mind was not one to be trifled with.

"Dark Ecriture…!" Freed called out during his next slash, and Cobra easily enough slid to the right, narrowly avoiding the destructive path left in the wake of that slash. Cobra bounced back quickly, delivering a spinning kick to the Enchantment Wizard as he momentarily froze in that swinging stance. Freed was propelled backward by the force of the kick, yet he managed to stop his momentum by sprouting wings made of runes on his back, coming just short of crashing into a far wall.

"C'mon!" Cobra barked challengingly, and Freed came veering straight at him with a more intense speed and strength. The sword swipes also accelerated, yet Cobra was able to back up and dodge to the sides each time, taking note that some sword strokes left nearly unnoticeable runes on the ground.

They continued going around like this for what must have been a few minutes at least, before Cobra latched onto Freed's swinging wrist with a scaled hand and unleashed a stream of Poison Dragon Slayer Magic that stopped Freed in his tracks and made him drop the sword. Although to Cobra's shock, coming into contact with Freed also left a series of runes on that hand, which Freed immediately put to use.

"Dark Ecriture: Pain!" The runes mage bellowed, which was followed by Cobra pulsating with a purple light as he held his head with both hands. Freed enhanced the attack with Dark Ecriture: Suffering, though he became shocked when the former Dark Mage _grinned_ and conjured a Magic Circle in front of himself. The Circle unleashed a wave of Poison Dragon Slaying Magic that took the form of a snake's head, and charged straight for the runes mage.

Freed managed to dodge the snake head as it bit down on his previous position, but the real target was revealed to be his sword, as the head exploded and washed the Poison over the weapon on the ground and made it rust and crumble apart in a manner of seconds. Freed winced and clutched at his wrist, where Cobra had gripped him with his scaled hand; the pain had dulled, but he felt slightly weaker than before.

"I have no choice then…" Freed murmured as he inscribed runes onto himself, crying out, "Dark Ecriture: Absolute Shadow!"

Instantly, the runes mage's upper body was covered in thick dark armor, complete with shoulder pads and a helmet. He should have started out the match with this, but he feared that Cobra would have an "instant" way around it. Now that part of his arm was going numb from the Poison, however, he felt he had no choice but to end the match quickly. It was no longer "advisable", he _needed_ to end this. _Now_.

"Pity you didn't bring a spare, but I figured I'd cut off that 'extension of your body'." Cobra snarked. He knew the gist of Freed's strategy, and he wasn't all that intimidated by the introduction of armor. The layer of protection was a bonus for what Freed had in mind, but it was a pretty wise move, all the same.

A dark aura of Poison Dragon Slaying Magic surrounded him, but Cobra still made no move to make the first strike. He didn't have to wait long as Freed surged forward with an electric sphere pulsating in one hand. At the last possible second, Cobra crossed his arms in front of himself and created a shield of poison that Freed ran straight into, and was promptly propelled back as the Magic fluidly became an attack.

Freed rebounded admirably, and this time managed to get in close with a flurry of melee attacks that Cobra, oddly, failed to block or dodge. Well, that is until Freed noticed the former Dark Mage charging an attack with his feet, which was dished out with a sweeping kick that made Freed's knees buckle. With his opponent falling forward, Cobra coated a fist in scales and poison before hitting Freed square in the chest and unleashed a blast that sent the runes mage flying back into a far wall.

By now, Freed was noticing Cobra's strategy. It was predictable, but he was beginning to truly "feel it" with his legs getting nailed with Cobra's poison. His arm was now throbbing beneath the armor, and his legs felt weakened. Moreover, it appeared that a stronger poison had been coated in that last attack, as there was now a gaping hole in his armor's chest area.

Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Freed stalled his opponent with Dark Ecriture: Pain, making use of the runes he had planted on Cobra during the melee attacks. Then, he surged forward as quickly as he could, another electric sphere in his arm, and prepared to strike his opponent into a wall of runes that would be electrically charged, as well. Those runes he'd drawn on the ground earlier would finally come into play.

At least… that was the plan.

"You still haven't learned! This pain is _nothing_ compared to what we've had to suffer through…!" Cobra hissed through clenched teeth. He then reared his head back as Freed drew close. "Poison Dragon's… ROAR!"

A thick beam of Poison Dragon Slaying Magic blasted from Cobra's mouth, and it hit Freed dead-on, as he had no time to dodge or block it. Not with his already weakening legs and arm. Though most of his armor protected him, some of the blast seeped through the gaping hole in his chest area, and Feed felt the full effects of the poison course through his system. When the blast dissipated, Freed collapsed on his back.

He didn't get up from that attack.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Satora imaoman domosamashi detashinuke taregasayo sonoka! I am** _ **back**_ **. I'm not completely happy with how this chapter turned out, but at least I finally got** _ **something**_ **out. After months of writer's block. Uuuggghhh… Let's hope I can keep up this momentum with an update for Natsu's Choice, in the coming days.**

 **Before I delve into a small rant related to Natsu's Choice, allow me to touch on a couple things in the chapter here. One: Yes, I know, there hasn't been a shakeup in terms of how teams rank so far. Don't worry, it's going to change pretty quickly. You might be confused about the "Points" that were listed off here – keep in mind there were points for the Hidden game, in which the players' values went up and down in the mini-game that is Hidden. Then, there's the actual GMG points gained from the team that came in first, the team that came in second, and so on. That's where the "ten", "eight", "six", "four", "three", "two", "one", and "zero" point totals came from. I tried to explain the concept as best as I can…**

 **Next… battles. I'd originally intended to get through the first day's battles in one chap, but then I decided against it because various characters need screentime. Like, I cannot stress enough that there are "too many" characters in Fairy Tail. Granted, two of the battles for the first day will remain unchanged from what they were in canon, and that's because in that time we'll be focusing on what's going on with Freed, who some of you might be freaking out about. No spoilers, but I will say don't get too worked up yet~. The GMG is only just starting, and I won't throw any "hard balls" at you guys** _ **quite**_ **yet.**

 **But they will come~.**

 **Now… onto the rant. For those of you still supporting me, who are still patient, know that this isn't aimed at you guys. You guys are awesome. I'll recommend that you guys stop reading the AN at this point, but if you want to read a rant, well… that's entirely up to you.**

 **But to the ones who spammed reviews and my message box with "UPDATE NOW!" messages… Guys, I perfectly understand where you're coming from when an author drops off the grid unexpectedly, and seems to have given up. Let me assure you, I have** _ **no**_ **intention of dropping** _ **any**_ **of my stories so long as I have a working keyboard and functional word processor. I might take ages to update, but I** _ **will**_ **get around to it. I might focus on one story for a period of time, a particular series, but I** _ **will**_ **get back to my other stories. I dunno how many of you are just readers, or are writers as well, but writing doesn't come as easily to some people. Sometimes, I hit patches of writer's block. Sometimes, I have stuff going on in real life.**

 **Whenever either happens, know that I don't mean to keep you guys waiting. It's just that I'm human; I have limitations. As much as I want to, I only have two hands, one computer, one mind. New ideas come and hit me all the time, there are characters I** _ **really**_ **wanna write for, and lately I've made a vigorous attempt to keep them from turning into full-fledged stories so that I can finish the ones I do have. Natsu's Choice is one of my "smaller" ideas, but the fact remains it's different from the usual stuff I write, like FCF here and crackfics. It's harder for me, 'cause there's no "arcs" to plan out; Natsu's Choice will not be very long, if I have anything to say about it. What makes it tougher for me to write out Natsu's Choice is that in the past few months, there's been a surge of fanservice going on in the manga that made me dread a canonization of Nalu and Jerza.**

 **I'll put it bluntly: All that canon fanservice made me very salty, and it was affecting my writing. If you read Natsu's Choice, you'll have seen that in the way I portray Erza's "indecisiveness", and how END's rant really shook her up. It's not fair to Erza's character, and I've been doing my best to work out how I want to proceed with that story. I want there to be** _ **development**_ **again, but I don't want there to be a race to the conclusion because "everyone's moving on, and everything's peachy". It's really making me frazzled, and it's most of the reason that I haven't updated anything in months. You guys want an update so bad, but here I am as the writer trying to do the characters justice. I** _ **don't**_ **want to do a rush job. As much as some of you might want it, I** _ **don't**_ **want to bash Erza because canonically she seems to really be infatuated with Jellal.**

 **The Fairy Tail manga has officially ended, and it ended on an okay note. It ended ambiguously, and that was the best I could have hoped for; neither Nalu nor Jerza were confirmed. Hinted at, but Jellal and Erza never had a proper moment together, and Natsu pretty much friendzoned Lucy. I dunno about you guys, but that got me in a cheery mood again. I didn't want to wait until the manga ended, but that's how long my writer's block has stalled me.**

 **I'm sorry it's taken so long, and I don't expect the worst of you lot to suddenly like me. The worst of you have been impatient, and it's really grated on me; I know of fanfictions that haven't gotten updated in years, but are still ongoing. If I take months to get around to updating, then I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be. I'm not writing for profit; I'm writing because it's fun, and I've got ideas I wanna share. As courteous as it would be to update on a regular schedule, I can't promise that because I could just as easily be struck with writer's block once again, or I could get distracted with various ideas.**

 **I'm not demanding that you follow me. If you're pissed about the waiting, there's nothing I can do to keep you here. The story I have "closest" to completion is The Tale of Nagato Uzumaki. I'd** _ **like**_ **to say I know how long Natsu's Choice officially will be, but I can't say at this point. I don't want to rush it, and I don't want to drag it out even more. It's just a struggle I have as a writer. All I can promise is that I have no intention of discontinuing my fanfics – maybe that's not good enough for all of you, but it's what I** _ **can**_ **promise. Every ongoing story I have on this account has at least one idea I want to eventually get to, and it's my hope that I can get to them.**

 **A reader already asked me if they want to adopt FCF here, and I'm still firm on that "no". Not because I don't want to see where you'd take FCF, but because I rather like the ideas I've had for this, and it's the direction** _ **I've**_ **chosen for it. If you want to borrow some of the ideas, by all means, go for it. Just don't steal the fic altogether.**

 **This rant's long-winded enough, so I'll end it here. I don't know when I'll next update, but** _ **hopefully**_ **I'll be able to get something up this next week. Whether that be an update for NC, an update for TToNU, or another update for this. This summer's not going as I planned, but I want to try and update what my muse will let me. I** _ **can**_ **write fast when my heart's in it, but that's the problem – you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. If I don't feel too pumped for a story, I take an unofficial break from it, and randomly update when bursts of inspiration hit me. That's just been my style since… ever. Sorry again, guys. -_-**


	36. Chapter 36

**Point-in-Time: July X791**

* * *

Freed collapsed to the ground after Cobra struck him. His armor shimmered around him before disappearing completely; leaving the Enchantment Wizard in his team uniform, with the upper front half of it torn to shreds. The Poison Dragon Slayer gazed down at his fallen opponent for a few moments before sighing breezily and looking up at the announcers' booth.

"Would someone call the match already? He's alive, Kami." He was all too used to people seeing him as a cold-blooded murderer, but he wasn't going to jeopardize his team's chances at freedom like this. At the very least, Makarov should have realized that.

Chapati coughed awkwardly before nodding at the Dragon Slayer.

"W-Well, then… The winner of the first match is Cobra!" He announced with as much energy as he could muster, garnering cheers throughout the stands. Mostly from people who put bets on the "dark horse" of the match, but there was a number of people who didn't recognize Cobra as a former convict.

It was quite the interesting experience for the Dragon Slayer. People were genuinely cheering about his victory and not shocked into frightened silence. Tossing a glance toward the Fairy Tail section of the stands, Cobra focused on the people that were upset about what he did to Freed; he was used to those kinds of reactions. Didn't mean he _liked_ being despised… it was just the sense of normalcy their reactions brought. He didn't know how to feel about being "liked" for winning.

"Grr…! Lemme _go_! Snakeface murdered our friend…!" Natsu roared as Gray had a grip on one arm, while Erza held onto his other shoulder tightly.

"Wouldja simmer down?! The guy _just said_ Freed's alive! Look, the medics are coming to check on his condition as we speak!"

Natsu snarled and jammed his elbow into Gray's gut.

"Like hell I'm gonna take that guy at his word! When we fought him last, he said his Magic slowly kills people! That's how his Poison works! If Freed _is_ alive, we need to get Wendy and Porlyusica to check him out, stat!" Natsu squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, raising his voice even more. "IF FREED DIES, I'M GONNA KICK HIS ASS!"

If possible, Erza's grip tightened on his shoulder, and he turned his gaze back to look at her, however reluctantly.

"Natsu, that's _enough_." Erza's tone left no room for debate. She briefly eyed Cobra, whose full attention was now on the three of them because of Natsu's volume. Her gaze then met Natsu's eyes. "Cobra and the rest of Hydra Roots are our competitors in this tournament. Even if the situation looks gruesome, we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Or do you not trust Warrod Sequen, one of the Four Gods of Ishgar, to be able to rehabilitate our former foes?"

Natsu greatly struggled to reel himself in, but he was still pissed as he turned to face forward again and glare his fellow Dragon Slayer down. He clenched his free hand into a tight fist, though he made no moves to weasel out of Gray and Erza's grips. He'd wait until the time was right, and then he'd get revenge on Freed's behalf!

… Hopefully while the crowd was watching, too.

Over with Team B, Juvia looked at Laxus in concern. Unlike Natsu, Laxus wasn't giving off a great deal of anger and frustration, but the Lightning Dragon Slayer could keep a tight lid on his emotions. A lot better than Natsu could, anyway.

"Are you alright, Laxus?" the Rain Woman asked concernedly. In response, the blond offered a small grin down at her.

"Yeah. Considering who his opponent was, Freed could have done way worse."

Gajeel stared at his teammate in disbelief.

"You're serious?! You don't feel pissed at all?"

Laxus smirked at the raven-haired man, arms crossed over his chest.

"I know you could read his attacks, too. Cobra was never intending to kill or cripple from the start. The word 'poison' kind of has this nasty connotation that usually makes you assume the worst. However, there are a variety of poisons in this world, and not all of them kill or seriously injure a person. Some work to simply incapacitate, or weaken the body for a time. Maybe in the past this Cobra guy used the most deadly varieties, but that didn't seem to be the case today." Shrugging his shoulders, Laxus added, "Though that's not to say I won't be getting any payback. I don't just 'let' anyone beat one of the Thunder Legion and get away with it. There's just no point to throwing down right now."

Kagura seemed to agree with Laxus's assessment, as she crossed her arms and hummed thoughtfully.

"His body language certainly seemed more relaxed than seven years ago. He knows it would be unwise to do anything drastic with so many witnesses. I wouldn't quite 'trust' him yet, but he should be given the benefit of a doubt for now."

Ultear offered no commentary as she surveyed the crowds with her Arc of Time, keeping an eye out for any… disturbances. Though deep down, she knew that if she and Meldy were capable of change, then the former Dark Mages of Hydra Roots could make new lives for themselves, too.

For a few scarce moments, she stopped her Arc of Time as it peered at Azuma and Rusty Rose. Her face showed no change of inflection, and she moved on from them soon enough. But Kagura noticed the very brief pause, and she frowned thoughtfully as she studied the Arc of Time mage.

Before he rejoined his team, Cobra casually made his way to his 'Guild Master'. Rusty Rose and Azuma congratulated the Dragon Slayer on his victory.

"You clipped that Fairy's wings with such finesse… It nearly brought a tear to my eye~." Rusty Rose eloquently greeted him. Azuma added, "We're far from finished, but it was an impressive start."

"Yeah, yeah," Cobra lazily waved them off as he directly approached the Wizard Saint. He then stuck out his hand. "Give it here. I'll drop it off and just get it out of the way now. Not like they're gonna be in a mood to see me later."

Warrod chuckled at the maroon-haired man's impatience before digging into his cloak for something.

"Nicely done! You're learning to show compassion for your opponents. I told you that you were making progress." Warrod finally found what he was looking for and passed the object into Cobra's hands. The Poison Dragon Slayer stared down at it in aggravation.

It was a root vegetable.

"Are you serious?! Stop with the crappy jokes and hand the damn thing over already…!" In a fit of anger, he tossed the root vegetable aside and scowled at the Wizard Saint. Seven years he had to endure this man's "levity", and he _still_ didn't know when to turn it off.

Warrod merely laughed as he revealed his other hand, which had been out of Cobra's sight, and passed the small vial over. Rather than thanking the man, Cobra stalked off in a huff, grumbling under his breath .Rusty Rose ignored the exchange entirely, while Azuma quirked an eyebrow at Warrod. The Guild Master beamed and turned his focus to the arena as the next competitors stepped out – Blue Pegasus's Ren and Mermaid Heel's Arana.

Cobra couldn't risk handling that vial during the match, so he had to rely on someone to hold onto it until the battle was over. Was it really so terrible that he wished to make use of the opportunity for a good joke? The youths of today, always so hardnosed and serious…

* * *

Amidst the civilian crowd, a single dark-haired man felt bored as the next match paled in comparison to the one before it. He'd felt absolutely shell-shocked when he laid eyes on the S-Class Ice Make mage from Fairy Tail during the Hidden game, and he couldn't help feeling disappointed that the Lightning Dragon Slayer showed him up. Still… It was quite a sight to see that boy grown up and capable of _becoming_ his element…

"Those Dragon Slayers sure are a tough bunch, aren't they?" An overly friendly spectator leaned over to the man and commented on Cobra's victory. The dark-haired man could only smirk in light amusement.

"They sure are… They might just have what it takes." The man vaguely replied.

Of course everyone around him took that to mean the tournament.

"Yeah, but there's like six of them in this thing, all spread out!"

"Ain't one of 'em a dual-element wielding Wizard Saint? My money's on his team winning this thing."

"Those Twin Dragons of Sabertooth are no slouches!"

The dark-haired man chuckled quietly to himself as the conversations carried along that vein. No, he wasn't referring to the tournament… But at least one other person in Domus Flau knew exactly what he was referring to, and he was listening with keen interest, even now. A certain nosy Dragon Slayer that used to be part of the Balam Alliance, just like him.

 _'The Gate to the Netherworld is gonna open real soon…'_

* * *

Since Team A was finished for the day, it was decided that only one person would stay behind to watch how the rest of the fights panned out. Cana volunteered, as she had little doubt Freed would turn out okay. Gray went along with Natsu and Erza to the infirmary, but he only stayed for a short while before going back to watch the matches with Cana. The infirmary was crowded enough as it was, and Natsu didn't look like he'd go seek out Cobra or anything. Makarov stayed for about as long as Gray did, leaving Freed in Wendy's care, and the watchful eyes of Bickslow, Evergreen, Elfman, Mira, Natsu, and Erza.

Out of all of them, Mira was probably taking it the hardest. They all knew – or at least hoped – Freed would bounce back from this, but it was still hard watching him be in an agonized sleep. Even with Wendy's glowing hands over his chest, there was a pained grimace flashing across his face, and he was squirming from the Healing Magic that was trying to purge the poison from his system.

"He's going to be fine…" Erza tried to reassure her rival, placing a hand on Mira's shoulder consolingly. The Takeover mage could only manage a tentative nod as she watched Freed struggle. She was both there and not there; her body was present, but her mind wandered, the more she watched him writhe on the infirmary bed.

Wendy had determined the poison was, indeed, not fatal, and that there wouldn't be any _lasting_ damage… But kept as-is, Freed wouldn't be any shape to participate in the Second Day's events. She stressed that was the worst case scenario, but to not get too hopeful. It was probably safer to give him a day of rest than to have him on the field and relapse. At least, that was Wendy's prognosis as a healer, and even the more stubborn mages learned to heed her advice over the last seven years. The Sky Maiden was still modest about her abilities and the progress she'd made, but Porlyusica had had to step in less and less as time went on, this fact could not be refuted.

"I know he's going to be just fine~…" Mira's unusually chipper voice put everyone on edge. Never mind the decidedly 'evil' purple aura that was radiating off of the barmaid. "That's why I'm going to take up his place tomorrow and win~."

Well, Erza had seen _this_ coming. If Natsu had been the one poisoned, nothing would have stopped her from getting a pound of flesh in return… you know, to avenge his honor.

At least until he could get back up on his own two feet.

… It was perfectly understandable, from Erza's perspective.

"Aw, c'mon, Sis!" Elfman protested. "Team A needs a Real Man to take Freed's place!"

"They made this Thunder Legion business!" Evergreen contested both Strauss siblings, being quickly supported by Bickslow.

"Let _us_ worry about avengin' Freed's loss!"

When Mira mechanically turned her head to the three of them, her sweet smile seemed like it could freeze nitrogen. They could all feel their hearts stop and their blood run cold, too scared to speak another word.

"I'm sorry, did I make it sound like this was negotiable…?" While sounding angelic, Mira's tone of voice was hovering somewhere around subzero…

"N-No, ma'am!"

"You got this!"

"Never mind! My Big Sis has got the biggest set in the room...! Ehehe."

Well, that settled that. As Erza smiled wryly at her Guildmates' antics, she noticed Natsu moving toward the door. A scowl was fixed on his face, but somehow she could tell it didn't have anything to do with what had been going on in the room.

"Natsu?" She asked with a touch of concern.

Natsu stopped at the door, his hand grasping the handle. He didn't turn to face the scarlet knight.

"I just have to step out for a sec. Don't worry." His voice was calm, and his body language betrayed no rage or hatred – even after all these years, Natsu still wore his heart on his sleeve, so it seemed like he'd calmed down from his earlier reaction to Freed's loss… But still, Erza worried.

"I'll come with you." The redhead replied as she spared one last look at Mira and the others. Freed wasn't in danger of dying, so they'd be alright for the time being. Erza hoped Wendy wouldn't overexert herself, but she also believed Freed was in good hands. "We should check on Mikoto and Ryo, anyway."

"Yeah…" Natsu agreed as he let Erza come with him. It would've been preferable to him if Erza stayed back for just a few minutes, but the Dragon Slayer also knew it would probably be for the best if she was there to keep him in check. He opened the infirmary door, knowing what they'd find out in the hallway…

* * *

Kinana wasn't really sure why she was going through with this. Her Guildmates wouldn't be too happy if they found out, but she wanted… _needed_ to see this man. There was something about him. Something familiar. But… not the 'dangerous' kind of familiar… More like, he was a long-lost friend. And it was possible, since she had amnesia…

But why did she feel so sad, as well?

"Oi, watch where you're going… You would've bumped into me if I was anyone else." A voice pulled Kinana out of her stupor, and when she blinked, she was face to face with the man at the center of her thoughts – a slightly frustrated scowl on his face.

"O-Oh… I'm sorry." The purple-haired mage squeaked as she shrank a little in her posture. Now she could see how some of her friends saw this man as terrifying… But even so… "Um, if it's not too much trouble…"

Kinana trailed off uncertainly. Cobra picked up on it and sighed breezily, closing his eyes patiently.

"You wanted to talk with me. I know."

Kinana's eyes widened and she looked at the Dragon Slayer in amazement.

"Y-You know?! How?!"

Cobra cracked open one eye and stared at her curiously.

"For someone so fixated on me, you didn't really pay attention to the match, did you? You're a strange chick." And he didn't quite mean that as an insult. He knew fangirls, had seen them wandering around Crocus. Kinana wasn't like that. For some reason, she felt like they were acquaintances, and he couldn't say that he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting her. There was a tinge of familiarity tugging at the corner of his mind as well, but… that's all it was. Something vague and barely noticeable. He did not know this girl. "I can listen to a person's soul. Commonly mistaken for mind-reading… well… I guess it's part of the ability, but it's not all that I can do with it. Point is, yeah, I knew you wanted to talk to me. Kami knows why… after I put your Guildmate in the infirmary."

He was perplexed… but he was still talking to her.

"Oh…" Kinana trailed off feebly, dragging her foot along the ground. "W-Well… I just wanted to ask you…"

"No, we haven't met before." Cobra blandly cut her off, and then sighed when the purple-haired mage flinched. He hadn't meant to be rude about this exchange. The question was written all over her face, and not to mention it was the one thing she'd been wondering about, from the moment he laid eyes and ears on her – he didn't need her to vocalize her question. Massaging his temple, he tried to be… nicer. "Look… I'm sorry. It's just… I've never met a girl like you before. Not at the Tower, not before, and definitely not after. I didn't have friends. Not human ones, anyway."

Despite clearly being a sensitive subject for him, Cobra didn't sound bitter or angry at her for digging up old wounds. When he amended his last statement, his tone almost sounded… fond. Kinana supposed she could have been imagining it – his facial features didn't really change when he talked. Still, he must have had some friend, even if it was just a pet, to make an admittance like that.

"S-So… You did have a friend? An animal, maybe?" The purple-haired mage asked tentatively. Cobra was thoughtfully silent for a few moments before answering.

"… A snake. Her name was Cubelios." He said this softly, ears pricking at some sort of nearby noise.

Kinana, though, was surprised with how familiar that name was. A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her, and inexplicably, it made her feel… warm inside. None of this made sense, but Kinana was too caught up in this bizarre whirlwind of nostalgic emotions to properly react when Cobra abruptly offered something to her.

"Take this. It's for that guy I beat in the match. It won't make him instantly heal, but… he'll be back on his feet quicker. Maybe enough to rejoin the games."

Kinana tilted her head and blinked as she reluctantly accepted it from him.

"Okay, but… why don't you…" As she trailed off, the door to the infirmary opened up, and Natsu and Erza stepped out, which was enough of an answer for the purple-haired girl.

"Hey! What're you doin' talkin' to Kinana, you jerk?!" The Dragon Slayer pointed at Cobra accusingly. The Poison Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes as he slid a hand down into his pocket.

"I was just leaving, Dragneel. No need to get all defensive. If you wanna settle crap, save it for the arena."

Erza took a step forward.

"If you're not here to antagonize us, then why are you here?"

Cobra knew a confrontation was inevitable; but at the very least, for his team, he could keep it from coming to blows. He considered downplaying it and telling a half truth, but they were going to find out eventually… Well, so long as Kinana gave Freed the antidote.

"If you really wanna know, guess it can't be helped…" Cobra blithely commented. "Your friend's not gonna be able to get back on his feet for a while. At least, not without a little help. Warrod forced me to create an antidote for every poison that I use in battle – and in the cases that I wouldn't, he would concoct it in my place. It defangs me somewhat, but I guess it's not all bad. I gave the antidote to the girl here, so there's no more reason to stick around."

Honestly, the whole explanation left a bad taste in his mouth, playing nice with the Fairies, but Cobra was content to have been 100% honest. If they refused to believe him, or destroyed the antidote, that was on their hands. Warrod would probably hand over another one later anyway.

"You think we'll just believe you…?!" Natsu gnashed his teeth as fire flared from his hands. However, Erza caught him by the shoulder before he could strike.

"Let's listen to him for now. He isn't causing trouble." As she said this, Erza still cast a wary eye in the Poison Dragon Slayer's direction. The maroon-haired man rolled his eyes again and received the message loud and clear – he'd leave, and that would be the end of it.

Still, even as he walked away, Kinana snapped out of her stupor and tried to rise to his defense.

"He's only trying to help!" Kinana said as she showed the container Cobra had given her. Natsu growled in annoyance but did not pursue his fellow Dragon Slayer.

"If it wasn't for him, Freed wouldn't even need help!" He griped.

Erza accepted the antidote from Kinana and eyed it in her hand.

"I'm afraid we'll have to have Porlyusica look at it first… But don't worry, Kinana, we'll give him the benefit of a doubt. Just try to understand, he was once our enemy, so we can't give him our full trust without earning it."

Kinana bit her lower lip, but didn't argue. Natsu and Erza were both S-Class Wizards, so they probably had more experience in this than her…

But even so, she wished things didn't have to be this way.

* * *

The first day of the Grand Magic Games ended without any other major developments happening in the matches. Ren defeated Arana, giving Blue Pegasus 10 more points. Orga defeated Warcry, giving Sabertooth 10 more points. And Juvia defeated Yuka, giving Fairy Tail Team B 10 more points.

The scores were now as follows:

FT Team B: 20P

Sabertooth: 18P

Hydra Roots: 16P

Blue Pegasus: 12P

FT Team A: 4P

Lamia Scale: 3P

Mermaid Heel: 1P

Quatro Cerberus: 0P

Once the battles were completed for the day, the crowds were dispersed and encouraged to come back for the second day's events. Similarly, the guilds left competing in the games regrouped, celebrated, criticized their performance thus far, and made their plans for the coming days.

* * *

Later on in the evening, there were even some inter-guild meetings as some couldn't contain themselves…

"Wally…!"

"Rich…!"

The brothers cried out joyfully with tears streaming down their faces as they embraced. There were a number of people unsettled by this at first, but in true Fairy Tail fashion, they got over it pretty quickly. It helped that Milliana, Sho, and Simon explained the situation between the brothers – how they were separated for nearly 15 years.

Aside from Richard, Sorano and Azuma from Hydra Roots had stopped by as well.

"Didn't expect you this soon," Natsu grinned at the white-haired woman, who gave him a dry look in return.

"If somebody didn't accompany Hoteye, he'd stay here for the rest of the games. And unfortunately, that isn't allowed. Unlike you, we have a curfew." Toward the end of her explanation, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Racer and Cobra are frustrated with our lack of progress so far, anyway. Not going to be lives of the party tonight."

Natsu huffed as he crossed his arms and stared grumpily at the Celestial mage.

"How do you think _we_ feel?! Blue Pegasus shot ahead of us! _Blue Pegasus_!"

Grinning impishly, Sorano patted the Dragon Slayer on the shoulder and walked past him.

"That's what we call a 'you' problem~…" Her mirthful voice sang. Natsu just grumbled again, as he didn't feel like going after her. She was bein' a jerk, but he didn't exactly have room to complain. Not after what that Warrod guy did for Freed…

He'd still kick their team's ass tomorrow.

"You came, too?" Gray asked curiously as Azuma leaned against the bar counter, arms crossed.

The former Dark Mage was thoughtfully silent for a few moments before he replied.

"Your guild is impressive. I did not have a high opinion of you at first. You were careless in your widespread destruction, which was infamous, and you were idealistic." Azuma criticized. He closed his eyes, and his mouth stayed a thin line. "… But you all have a strength dwelling within you. Your ideals aren't hollow or weak; they are naïve, but it is the path you have chosen."

Gray rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to reply to Azuma's words. The Ice Mage had to remember that this guy wasn't like the other enemies they'd fought in the past; he had no remorse for attacking their guild, but he had an honor code as a warrior. He didn't seem the type to pettily antagonize others, like a lot of the members in Grimoire Heart seemed to love to do.

"… Thanks." Gray eventually settled on, managing to keep much of the uncertainty out of his tone.

As if he could read Gray's mind, Azuma elaborated a little more.

"I felt like taking another look at your guild. Depending on how the Games pan out, we may be working together in the future."

Gray narrowed his eyes as he mulled over Azuma's words.

"What do you mean by that…?"

"… Nothing you need to worry about right now." Azuma mused as he maintained eye contact with Gray. His gaze was contemplative, and offered no insight into what he was thinking about. Gray let out a small groan of exasperation under his breath, but didn't push the issue. Too many damn secrets were floating around.

"... I'm gonna get some air." Gray lazily announced, after he and Azuma had parted ways. The night was young, and Crocus had a number of things one could do for fun. Recognizing an opportunity to hang out with him, Juvia chased after him.

"Ah! My darling, wait...!"

Meanwhile, across the bar, a far more casual conversation was going on as Richard sat down with Wally, Sho, Simon, and Meredy at a table.

"So I hear you've been in the movie-making industries these days!" Richard beamed at his brother amicably as he accepted a beverage from a waitress of the Honey Bone Inn. Wally sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he stared down at his plate in reflection.

"Eh, yeah… Nothing _big_ , mind you… It was actually more of a coincidence, the way I bumped into that director guy and hit things off. It paid pretty well, and I'd give kids somethin' to dream about, so I figured, why not? I'm only part-time anyway 'cause I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard first, but it's not the worst gig in the world."

Richard wept tears of joy while Wally's friends sweatdropped.

"I'm so proud of you, Wally! You've come a long way since we were kids! You're a big star now!"

Wally did his best to hide his blush. He told himself he wasn't the type of guy to do that… But in fairness, this _was_ Rich. They lost their parents when they were really young, so his brother was all he had. And it'd been a real long time since they'd been able to sit down for a meal like this…

It was… nice.

"You also did it so Rich could find you again after he was released, right?" Sho asked off-handedly, causing Wally to stiffen and shush him in embarrassment. Richard giggled at the display.

"That _is_ a creative way of getting your name out there… And you found yourself a wonderful home with this guild!"

"Fairy Tail's amazing…" Meredy smiled a little, agreeing with Richard. "It's not like most guilds where you join to find work, or to get famous… You join a family with Fairy Tail. It's a place to protect what's precious to you and where you can realize your dreams… Unlike in Grimoire Heart, where you had to make a new world for that to be possible."

Simon smiled a tad ruefully as he stared at the pinkette out of the corner of his eye. He, Sho, Wally, and Milliana had been lied to for eight years as well; it was a miracle for such a guild to come to their rescue, but even moreso that they got to be a part of it. He knew exactly how Meldy felt.

"The Dark Guilds took advantage of our suffering…" Richard sobered up as he, too, could understand Meredy's feelings. "Just as Grimoire Heart had dreams to achieve in the Grand Magic World, we of the Oracion Seis had our individual prayers… Brain used them to twist our hearts and make pawns of us. It does not excuse the sins we committed… but it shows that, in a sense, a part of ourselves will always be locked in that tower."

"Even so…" Simon appeared thoughtful. "Even those parts of ourselves can be freed. The past is oppressive, and it can't be erased… But we can keep striding to the future. We can find new reasons to keep living."

Richard nodded with a beam as the others smiled at Simon's words of encouragement. These were things they learned from Natsu, Erza, and the other members of Fairy Tail.

"That's why I would like to join your guild, regardless of who wins!" Richard remarked amicably. "And I believe Sorano has similar thoughts. Even with freedom, it won't bring happiness unless we can find somewhere to belong. Endlessly roaming the lands will not fill the void in our hearts."

Sho frowned thoughtfully at Richard.

"Just what do you mean by that? Aren't you on probation under Master Warrod…?" That's what he and many in the Fairy Tail guild assumed, anyway.

Richard giggled mirthfully, hand over his mouth and eyes closed.

"Well, the truth is…"

* * *

"Gimme another shot, damnit! We're just gettin' started!" Cana yelled exuberantly from within the inn that Quatro Cerberus was staying at. Her challenge was met by raucous laughter from the Ace of that guild.

Ultear snorted in amusement as she strode past that inn. After Master Makarov gave his hoorah speech to raise the morale of the guild, a number of them had dispersed to go find friends in allied guilds. Of particular note, Lucy, Levy, Erza, and Kagura had gone off to visit Mermaid Heel; Gray, Juvia, and Wendy recently went to visit Lamia Scale; Cana obviously visited Quatro Cerberus; and Natsu and Happy at least had plans to go find Sting again.

Ultear, though… she didn't have any destination in mind. Her only plans for the evening were a short stroll in order to reflect on a number of things. Seeing Rusty and Azuma... along with the former members of the Oracion Seis… She was surprised like everyone else in Fairy Tail. She could only begin to fathom what the Magic Council was thinking, but more importantly, seeing former partners in Grimoire Heart made her recall that dark time in her past… She had managed to move on and find a way to repent for her sins, but seeing those two stirred some complicated feelings in her mind and heart.

Ultear knew what they were like. Knew their character. And it just made her wonder what they were doing with the Oracion Seis… If the theory about parole proved true, then why were they released so soon? They'd committed crimes longer than Oracion Seis, and because they were in Grimoire Heart those crimes were not light offenses. Was it possible they'd had a change of heart…?

As Ultear looked down at the ground, deep in thought, she supposed it was possible. After all, she'd been no better than them – aiming to reach the Grand Magic World, trampling all obstacles underfoot. She had no right to judge their potential character now, seven years later.

"Well, well… I thought I sensed a cruel gale blowing past. It turns out it was just you… Ultear."

The Arc of Time mage blinked in surprise as she was snapped out of her musings by her former comrade, Rusty Rose. He was standing to her right, and they'd just been about to walk past each other without a word, only the pale moonlight illuminating their path.

"Rusty…" Ultear muttered, unsure what to say. After all, she'd made sure to wipe his memories of her and Meldy after he was arrested seven years ago…

Did he somehow recover his memories?

"It would seem fate plans to put us on opposite sides of the war now…" Rusty pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I care not about relics of the past, however. Memories hold no sentimental value between us. We were comrades in arms, but now we are bitter enemies. I intend to see you as only that, so don't even try to use the past against me."

Ultear narrowed her eyes slightly. He definitely recovered some memories, at the very least…

Her eyes widened when Rusty transformed his arm into tendril-like weapons and actually attacked her - embedding himself in the wall she'd been standing next to.

"That being said... I must stress the severity of your betrayal. You fought alongside us to annihilate the Fairies... But at the end of the day, instead of sharing the punishment for losing the war, you left us to rot in prison while you and Meldy joined the guild that ended our dream before it could be realized!" Rusty's face darkened as he leaned over Ultear's shoulder, remaining embedded in the wall. "I promise you... Once these childish festivities are over and done with, Azuma and I shall release Master Hades and come back for your spineless guild... There won't be a snake pit for you or Meldy to hide in! The price for outrageous crimes such as betrayal **always** comes due..."

The Arc of Time mage couldn't muster a word in her defense. It was true... she had gotten to walk scot-free after Tenrou Island. To be honest, Grimoire Heart was more of a tool for her than an actual guild to be loyal to; so the act of betrayal didn't burden her mind so much. What did bother her was that Rusty played on the old doubts she used to have.

She was a criminal. A puppetmaster that was largely responsible for the suffering at the Tower of Heaven. A warmonger who destroyed towns - even Meldy's - in search of the Keys to awaken Zeref. She manipulated the Magic Council, and deceived the Dragneels for years. Ultear knew she had done so much wrong, had been no better than the members of Grimoire Heart who had been locked away, and still she received a second chance...

"Now that's not very nice..." A deceptively sweet voice butted into the conversation, surprising Ultear and Rusty both. Rusty was thrown for even more of a loop, when he was launched by a kick several feet from Ultear's side, skidding to a halt and glaring at the pale-haired demon that dared to intrude. "Ultear's a member of Fairy Tail, and allowed to make her own life decisions! Just because _you_ showed no remorse and were sent to prison doesn't mean you get to criticize her. Unlike you, she's actually made progress on the road to redemption!"

Rusty clicked his teeth in aggravation, but did not offer a rebuttal. Ultear continued to stare at the eldest Strauss sibling in shock. Even with her mind on other things, she'd been pretty sure no one followed her on her stroll. Why had Mira of all people tailed her, anyway? Had she been anticipating conflict?

"I have nothing more to say to you, so I will be going now." The silver-haired man mused in a clipped tone before straightening up and stalking off without giving Ultear a chance to reply. "Take care to keep the King's throne warm for us – we will be taking your place soon enough."

Rusty waved lazily without looking back, and disappeared around a corner.

"Why did you step in...?" Ultear finally said as she turned to Mirajane. "He had a point. After everything I had done, I got off easy."

Mira giggled in slight amusement.

"Well, considering you have Erza as a teammate, I wouldn't say you got off _easy_... You sure like to give ol' Red hell, when it comes to Natsu." Mira's smile and posture became more relaxed as she crossed her arms under her chest. "Besides... I meant every word of it. He has no right to judge you, especially when it seems like he hardly changed at all. Even if we're going to be rivals tomorrow, Fairy Tail looks after its own."

Ultear smiled wryly at that.

"So... you're still going to be Freed's substitute." Even after his condition had stabilized.

"Just for tomorrow." Mira affirmed resolutely, grin unwavering. "No one gets to humiliate Freed like that and dig the heel in some more, if he's not one hundred percent tomorrow. So he gets a day of rest."

"... I suppose that's fair." Ultear slowly returned Mira's grin. She wasn't caught off-guard too much when Mira got mischievous.

"Besides, if Team A makes a comeback and wins the Games, you'll owe me one! Not that you don't already." Mira's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Juvia, Gajeel, Laxus, and Kagura, too. I can have some nice little helpers around the bar~..."

Ultear, of course, matched Demon Mirajane's mischief.

"You realize if Team B wins, though, you get to serve _us_ hand and foot..."

Mira tilted her head as she beamed at the dark-haired woman, eyes closed innocently.

"Unfortunately for you, I play to win. You won't get mercy from me~."

Ultear snorted in amusement.

"Like I'll really let a chance to have Natsu, Erza, Gray, _and_ you serving me go to waste. I'll gladly show you why Erza affectionately calls me 'Time Witch'~..."

A small jolt of electricity passed between their eyes as the rivals glared each other down, but eventually Mira broke the staring contest as she began to walk away.

"Really, though... Don't let what he said get to you. Even if the world turned against you, Fairy Tail would have your back in a heartbeat. You don't need to prove anything anymore." Mira softly promised before leaving.

As a breeze blew past the Arc of Time mage, she pondered the significance of this exchange.

* * *

Natsu grinned mischievously as his mentor guided him to the top of Domus Flau Coliseum. By chance, he'd run into the Dragon Slayer while he was out looking for Sting and the Sabertooth Inn, and he decided to hang out with the man instead. Apparently, he would be the guest commentator in tomorrow's Games.

"Just look all we survey, Dragneel…" God Serena gestured at the widespread capital city, before spreading out both his arms and embracing the night breeze that hit him in the face. "We are the Gods of Ishgar! The mightiest Wizards of this continent… And tomorrow, you shall have the opportunity to elevate my image to even greater heights."

Natsu sweatdropped as his fellow Dragon Slayer quickly came back to focusing on himself. It was nice to be acknowledged while it lasted…

"Er… thanks…" Natsu thought it best to not tell him the fights were randomized, so he only had a 'chance' of battling. The events weren't guaranteed to be traditional battles. "If I fight, I'll definitely kick some ass!"

He'd be optimistic about it, though.

"Oh, I know you will…" God Serena smirked confidently. "Because tomorrow you will face your only worthy opponent in this contest, and you will **crush** him. Do you understand me?"

… Not really.

"You put in a request or somethin'?" Natsu cocked his head at his mentor.

"I asserted my _authority_ to give the crowds of Ishgar a show they will never forget!" God Serena boasted dramatically. He slung his arm around the Pyro and waved his hand across Natsu's line of sight of Crocus. "The tale of your legendary battle will spread far and wide, and the people of Ishgar will know the greatness that is God Serena…! For only **I** could train a pupil into a powerful force of nature! Take joy in spreading my magnificence all around the world!"

Natsu sweatdropped but nodded in acceptance. He'd long since learned to just feed the man's ego. If you didn't, he would kick your ass just to get you on your knees. And Erza would kick his ass if they destroyed Domus Flau in their fight…

It wasn't cowardice. He just didn't wanna get Fairy Tail disqualified for pissing off the most powerful man in Ishgar. A guy Natsu intended to surpass… someday.

"Piss off! Like I'm gonna let Salamander stroke your bigass ego! Team B's gonna be the one to win this whole thing."

Natsu went rigid and ghostly pale as he turned to Gajeel, who was comically and suddenly to his left, arms crossed as he stared out at Crocus, too.

"Gajeel, nooo...!" The Pyro rasped weakly, already seeing a raging aura of righteous fury surrounding his mentor.

Serena was gonna kick both their asses in his current state.

* * *

The breeze that was blowing throughout Crocus even reached the courtyard of the palace, and the areas connected to it. In one such area, a pale, dark-haired young man turned around from staring at a large set of double doors. He smiled softly as a figure joined him.

"Ah… I figured you would be coming here tonight… Anna."

The blonde stared at the man in shock.

"… Zeref."

* * *

 **Author's Note: And that's all I've got, this time. lol Rather than focus on the fights, which were more or less the same in canon (minus the Juvia vs Yuka fight), I focused on the interactions of the characters. We'll be back to the events and fights on the Second Day, so don't worry.**

 **I probably won't update for a bit, since I have Praxis tests to study for. However, since I'd already had a chunk of this written, I wanted to finish this and get this updated. Hope you guys enjoyed!**


	37. Chapter 37

"It's Day 2 of the Grand Magic Games…!" Chapati announced as the crowds went wild. "Joining me once again is Mr. Yajima! And our new special guest…!"

Unfortunately, the announcer was cut off as God Serena slammed his hands down on the table and grinned cockily.

" **I** do not require an introduction, because you **all** know me, and I am _adored and beloved_ …!" Out of nowhere he produced victory fans and did a small dance. "The Invincible God Serena…!"

If the atmosphere wasn't pumped enough already, the crowd was going ballistic now. Even if he was an egotistical bastard, no one could deny he was a celebrity in Ishgar – a living legend. For him to make an appearance at the Grand Magic Games, it was unprecedented.

But certainly not unwelcome. As the Magic Council could attest to, they were getting much good publicity from the Dragon Slayer agreeing to be a special guest.

Chapati cleared his throat sheepishly.

"Alright, let's get back to the action already in progress, as our Wizards take on the Chariots…!" The screens within the arena showed what was going on in Crocus. A long line of enormous vehicles was charting a course through the city, toward a goal line at Domus Flau coliseum. "The point of this game is to reach the final goal without falling off! Simple, right? _Wrong_! The chariots are constantly in motion, and those of a snail's pace, one false move could cost you! Which team will survive this rough and tumble sight-seeing tour through Crocus and be the first to cross the finish line?! For those of you here with us at Domus Flau, we'll be showing the race in crystal clear Lacrima Vision!"

On the screens, the various participants could be seen, and their teams watched from balconies assigned to them.

"You've seen a lot in your days…" Chapati commented to Yajima. "But would you have ever predicted anything like this?"

Yajima hummed thoughtfully.

"Well…" He gathered his thoughts while God Serena continued to eat up the crowd's attention.

In Fairy Tail Team A's balcony, Cana breathed a sigh of relief.

"… I'm glad we talked Natsu out of taking this challenge." She didn't look the slightest bit apologetic as the Dragon Slayer gnashed his teeth at her.

"What're you sayin'?! I was gonna kick so much ass!" The Pyro roared in aggravation.

Gray stared dully at the pink-head.

"Have you _seen_ those things out there? You'd get sick the moment you set foot on those things…" He deadpanned.

Natsu paused as he actually took a look at the Lacrima screens. He got green in the face and tried to hold his breakfast in.

"… Okay… Those things definitely would've made me hurl…"

Sting, that poor bastard. He volunteered for Team Sabertooth, seeing that Natsu had been about to volunteer himself, and now he'd be subjected to unimaginable Pain and Trauma. Thank Kami Mira could be as stubborn as Natsu… or else he'd be in the same boat as the White Dragon Slayer.

In other words… he'd be in Last Place.

"Well, let's take a look at the group leading the pack! This race is as neck-and-neck as it gets, folks!" Chapati decided to leave Sting be for the time being. The poor guy looked so miserable, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. "At the front is Hydra Root's **Racer**! It's no wonder how he got his name, because he's leaving all the other competitors in the dust! Far behind him in second place, you have Kagura Mikazuchi and Mirajane Strauss struggling to outpace the other! Behind them, you have Blue Pegasus's Ichiya, Lamia Scale's Yuka, and Mermaid Heel's Risley!"

Kagura dashed along the chariots at a breakneck speed while maintaining her sense of grace. To the right of her, Mira was using her Satan Soul and managing the same speed.

"You're not doing half bad!" Mira smirked tauntingly at the swordswoman. The purple-haired woman narrowed her eyes but kept on running.

Then, at a sudden point, she nimbly bounced off the chariot and slashed at Mirajane, slowing down both their momentum. However, despite how fast the attack was, Mira caught the sheathed sword between her two clawed hands and grinned intimidatingly.

"So that's how you want to play, huh…?"

Ichiya huffed and puffed as he managed to stay ahead of Yuka and Risley, who were running alongside each other.

"Feel the burn, maaan!"

"I'm surprised someone like you can last this long!" Yuka chuckled.

"Don't underestimate chubby power, shortstuff~!" Risley grinned.

"And finally, behind them is Quatro Cerberus's Reserve Member, Bacchus!" Chapati finished announcing how the race was currently going.

"Man, that guy's loud…!" Bacchus hiccupped. "Can't you let a guy work off last night's booze in peace?!"

Yuka charged ahead of both Ichiya and Risley with a surge of Magic.

"Feel my **Wave Boost**...!" Yuka grinned cockily. "Good luck using any Magic while you're inside my shockwave!"

Risley grinned right back at him as she charged on the side of the chariot they were on.

"Weren't you listenin' before?! Chubby power **rules**!" She managed to pass by Yuka by use of her Gravity Change Magic.

Left alone behind Yuka, Ichiya hummed contemplatively.

"A Magic Neutralizing Wave, huh…? In that case…" He reached inside of his suit and stuck up two vials of… something… up his nostrils. "Watch my Fitness Parfum…! Point-Blank Absorption Style!"

And having done that, he managed to outrun Yuka as well. Bacchus chuckled at the sight of it.

"Wow… they're really goin' all-out, aren't they? Makes my soul all stirred up, y'know! Well, I might as well put a little effort into this race, too…!" Bacchus then stomped down on the chariot he was on, sending a shockwave that not only split the chariot in half but also upset the balances of the chariots in front of him. This managed to launch Ichiya, Risley, and Yuka into the air, but they safely landed on the broken chariots without falling off. "Catch ya later, losers! Try not to fall off before the Finish!"

"That was a dirty trick…" Ichiya moaned.

"You said it…" Yuka couldn't agree more.

"No one makes chubby fly…!" Risley scowled, her body having suddenly become skinny.

While Chapati, Yajima, and the crowd were distracted by this development, Racer finally crossed the Goal Line, relishing in the cheers of the crowd.

"Oh! I guess we have a Winner…!" Chapati chuckled good-naturedly.

"No one's as fast as me…! **Nobody**!" Racer roared victoriously, fists pumped in the air.

On the balcony of Fairy Tail Team A, Gray narrowed his eyes. That wasn't the same Magic he used seven years ago, back when they were dealing with Nirvana… Racer had actually acquired some sort of **real** Speed Magic…

In the balcony for Hydra Roots, Cobra grinned roguishly.

"Heh… I knew he'd get the job done."

"Ten more Points for us…" Midnight agreed with satisfaction.

"The crowd **loves** him! Oh yeah!" Richard cheered. Sorano just grinned.

"Uh-oh! It looks like the race for Second Place is gonna be a Photo Finish…!" Chapati drew the crowd's attention back to the other participants. Bacchus had caught up with Kagura and Mirajane, who were attacking each other viciously – Kagura slashing Mirajane with her sword and Mirajane blowing her away with Evil Explosions.

They were almost at the Goal Line, when Bacchus managed to surge past the two of them and steal Second Place. In his destructive wake, Mira had been blown off course but managed to keep to the air, while Kagura was within a hair's breadth of falling off the chariot. Luckily for the purple-haired swordswoman, Mira was kind enough to catch her by the arm… and then throw her backward toward the chariot behind them, before flying off to the Goal Line and acquiring Third Place. Kagura scowled, but managed to land gracefully and acquire Fourth Place.

The other participants started rolling in after them. Risley stole Fifth Place, Yuka stole Sixth, and Ichiya came in Seventh. That left Sting, who was in Eighth Place, and he was far behind everyone, moaning and groaning all the way. A pitiful defeat for Sabertooth…

"I'm glad it's not me out there…" Rogue mused on Sabertooth's balcony.

"That poor bastard…" Cobra muttered on Hydra Root's balcony.

"Hmm… you have the same ailment, don't you, Laxus?" Ultear asked curiously on Fairy Tail Team B's balcony. The Lightning Dragon Slayer sighed.

"Just don't let Natsu know… I'll never live it down."

"I probably wouldn't have admitted that, if I were you…" Juvia drawled.

The scores were now as follows:

Hydra Roots: 26P

Fairy Tail Team B: 24P

Sabertooth: 18P

Blue Pegasus: 13P

Fairy Tail Team A: 10P

Quatro Cerberus: 8P

Lamia Scale: 5P

Mermaid Heel: 4P

"Alright! Now for the part you've all been waiting for, the _Battle portion_ …!" Chapati announced. "Today's first match is honestly a little unconventional! For you see, our special guest, God Serena, picked this one out himself! You're in for a special treat today, folks, 'cause we have a match between two high-ranking Wizard Saints! Natsu Dragneel! And Jura Neekis!"

Down in the middle of the arena, Natsu was grinning like a loon as a powerful flame engulfed his arm and he stared down Lamia Scale's Ace, who casually walked to the middle of the arena.

"Heh…! I'm fired up now!"

Jura also radiated a powerful aura of Magic Power, still concealing his arms in his sleeves.

"Now, now, let's not get _too_ excited… We don't want a repeat of our last match here, where there are civilians who could be harmed…"

Natsu pointed at his elder accusingly.

"Pal! We gotta settle it! That last match _does not count_! I knocked you out, sure, but I passed out like right after! We gotta have a **clear** winner today!"

The two of them had been ascending the Wizard Saint ranks for the past seven years. And against all odds, the two of them had been fairly evenly matched, with the two of them interchangeably keeping barely a few steps of the other. Their rivalry was a well-known thing, though Natsu getting trained by Serena, in conjunction with getting named the Fifth Wizard Saint and very few knowing of "how" he managed to get that rank instead of Jura, resulted in the Dragon Slayer being widely believed to be the stronger of the two.

Natsu didn't like that. Sure, he liked being acknowledged for his strength, but not when people generally assumed he was leagues above Jura. That simply wasn't true. If he was the second most powerful "dragon" in Ishgar, then Jura was the monster that kept his power in check.

"… Fuck." Was all Gray had to say, watching from the balcony for Fairy Tail Team A. It's like the Grand Magic Games committee wanted them all to die.

"You'd think they'd save this for the finale, not the friggin' opening match." Cana muttered as she chugged a bottle of booze. Mira giggled as she casually leaned over the railing.

"It's probably Serena's doing. He likes being the center of attention and all."

"I know Flamebrain's probably got this… But he's fighting Jura – probably the one guy in this whole thing that has a good chance of beating him one-on-one." Gray drawled. Erza had her arms crossed and was staring calculatingly at the two Wizard Saints.

"No. There's a good number of challenging opponents this year. Jura's among the strongest, but he's hardly the only one who could come out on top against Natsu in a one-on-one battle. In battle, pride can lead to your downfall."

Cana raised an eyebrow curiously.

"That's… surprisingly realistic of you…" She muttered. "So you _don't_ think Natsu will kick all their butts?"

Erza just grinned comfortably.

"Now, whoever said I was lacking in faith…? Natsu will overcome the odds. The stronger his opponent is, the harder he fights to exceed his limits."

While Cana and Gray stared at Erza, Mira continued to beam and giggled a little bit.

"Sonuvabitch…" Gajeel groused in his corner of the balcony for Fairy Tail Team B. "I wanted to be the one to face Jura. See how I stack up."

Laxus snorted in dry amusement.

"He would squash you like a bug. Don't delude yourself into thinking you could vanquish a monster like him."

Gajeel developed a tick mark on his head as he shook his fist at Laxus.

"Don't go assuming that I can't do somethin', taserbreath!"

Kagura closed her eyes calmly.

"Except he's right… The likes of you and I would not be able to withstand 'Iron Rock' Jura. Not in a one-on-one fight, anyway. I can think of seldom few who could, and Natsu is one of them."

Juvia patted Gajeel's shoulder consolingly as he moped.

"I imagine Laxus could pose a challenge to Jura." Ultear mused thoughtfully. "Whether he would win or lose would be debatable, but Laxus is one of the strongest members of the guild."

Laxus, too, remained thoughtfully silent as Gajeel got worked up over the Time Witch's comment. After a few moments, he shrugged neutrally.

"Let's just watch the Flamebrain go to work. It's not often you see two Wizard Saints squaring off."

Down in the arena, lightning crackled off of Natsu, signaling the start of the fight. Jura's brow raised in anticipation as his hands finally emerged from his sleeves, slowly reaching a medium distance from each other. In this stance, Lamia's Scale Ace would be able to efficiently respond to the Dragon Slayer's initial strike.

Then, fire burst from Natsu's feet as he jetted toward Jura at an intense speed.

"Iron Rock Wall!" Jura called out his defense moments before Natsu reached him. He then leaped back when he noticed his wall cracking from Natsu's assault, and seconds later the Dragon Slayer punched through it with a raging fist of fire. The Lamia Scale Ace smirked and made a hand sign before shouting, "Continuous Formation!"

Natsu's eyes hardened in determination, and he sidestepped the formation that rose up to strike him; he then made use of the fire at his feet to fluidly maneuver around all the formations that were coming up, one right after the other. Eventually, he bounced off of one and surged toward Jura again – but this time, the Dragon Slayer engulfed one hand in fire and the other in lightning, and then swung his arms around to create a powerful vortex.

"Crimson Lotus…! **Exploding Lightning Blade**!" The Pyro bellowed, launching his attack at a Jura who was seemingly preoccupied with the Iron Rock Wall: Continuous Formation.

But a mere moment after Natsu launched his devastating attack, Jura grinned and called out a new defense.

" **Rock Mountain** …!" And in just the nick of time, a giant humanoid figure made of rocks rose up to block the attack. It had a somewhat difficult time enduring Natsu's onslaught, but amazingly… it withstood the attack.

Chapati, Yajima, and the crowd was suitably impressed by the fight so far.

"Incredible…! Natsu Dragneel unleashed a ferocious assault, but Jura countered with an impregnable defense! I guess we're getting an idea of just how strong the Wizard Saints are!"

Yajima hummed thoughtfully.

"I agree it's an impressive display… but these two are just getting started. I've seen what they're both capable of."

God Serena cackled smugly.

"Oh… You've barely seen anything yet. Dragneel has yet to unleash any of _my_ infamous Magic…!"

While Chapati and Yajima puzzled over Serena's words, lightning crackled all over Natsu as his hands were at his sides, curled into fists.

"You've barely done anything yet! C'mon! I'm not gonna wear myself out like I did last time! You wanna turn this into a battle of attrition, I'll make it one you'll regret!"

Jura raised an eyebrow curiously, before breaking apart the statue behind him and sending a flurry of rocks at Natsu.

"Rock Avalanche! And then… Supreme Rock Crush!" Jura declared, with the rocks encasing Natsu before he could so much as raise a fist coated in flames. He joined his hands together, prepared to make an explosion that would surely damage the Dragon Slayer… But then he widened his eyes in awe. "Hoh… Now that _is_ impressive…"

Before his attack could go off, Natsu managed to somehow _melt_ all of the rocks off of him. He held the same stance and was glaring Jura down; though there was a slightly different aura about him. Flames that were closer to a blood red outlined his form, and Jura could feel their oppressive heat from where he was standing.

"Purgatory Dragon Slayer Magic!" Natsu revealed the name of these flames. "I don't think I have to tell ya how hot these babies are!"

"No… I suppose you do not." Jura mused, curious of how he would overcome this obstacle. It's not like this would render him helpless… But flames that could melt rocks. Flames that could probably melt a lot more durable materials. This gave him pause with how to proceed.

Natsu grinned ferally as a he took a step toward Jura, leaving a dark, charred footprint behind him.

"If you won't come to me, I'll just come to you, pal!" Having said that, Natsu cancelled the aura of Purgatory flames around him and charged with his traditional Fire Dragon Slaying Magic.

Jura wasn't slow on the uptake. With Natsu switching back to his usual style to enhance his speed, that implied Purgatory flames did not grant him that benefit. Or at the very least, Purgatory flames took up so much Magic that Natsu didn't want to waste the energy showing off. In short: Either way it blessed Jura with a frequent opportunity to attack the Pyro.

"Rock Spikes!" Jura called out, irritating the Dragon Slayer when he was stopped in his tracks by rock spears that protruded from the ground and he got all tangled up in them.

"Did I ever mention I hate it when you do that?!" Natsu raged as he pumped more Magic into his arms and legs to snap the spears like twigs. However, just as he did, Jura pounded into Natsu with a Rock Fist that surged from an extended fist and plowed him through a series of Iron Rock Walls that had been set up behind the Dragon Slayer. Natsu grunted when he crashed through the last of them and slammed into the stadium wall, leaving a giant crater. Natsu shook his head to clear away the fuzziness. "… Okay… I'm startin' to get mad! JURAAA…!"

The Dragon Slayer jetted forth from the wall with fire igniting under his feet, and he weaved through the new obstacles that not only tried to impede his race over to his fellow Wizard Saint, but also tried to smash into him. When he got into a clear area that was a medium distance away from Jura, he smirked. This caused Jura to look at him curiously again as he caused three more pillars to rise up between him and the Dragon Slayer.

Jura started to get wary when an attack never decimated the pillars. Instead, a storm cloud that appeared directly above Jura shot down a bolt of lightning. The Wizard Saint winced as he barely leaped back in time, running on instinct rather than knowing that's where Natsu's attack was going to come from. His eyes widened when the lightning struck the ground and exploded violently, sending a wave of Lightning Magic in a pulse that passed through him and the area around him. Jura got down on one knee and actually gasped in pain a little.

"Wh-What… was that…?!"

As Natsu finally plowed through the pillars between him and Jura, Natsu smirked at him.

"Fulmination Dragon Slayer Magic! The second Dragon Slayer Magic I picked up from Serena! Definitely a good explosive one." Natsu rolled his arm to get a crick out of his neck. He then pointed at Jura eagerly once more. "Don't think we're done yet, pal! I can tell you're startin' to get fired up."

Jura chuckled as he stood back up, dusting off his front.

"Indeed… It's been a while since I've had to go all-out like this! I'm absolutely _thrilled_!" A very passionate glimmer entered his eye, and Natsu grinned back just as cockily.

The two of them proceeded to dash at each other, to test one another's physical capabilities. Natsu slugged him in the chest, followed by a spinning fiery kick that knocked Jura back a few steps. Jura coated his fist in stone and struck back, though Natsu met the attack head-on and clenched his teeth. They went on like that for several more blows, a cloud of dust being kicked up from the strength behind their blows. The crowd was absolutely captivated by the show the Wizard Saints were putting on. In Lamia Scale's balcony, Lyon was sweating buckets.

"I've never seen Jura this animated! I know Dragneel is one of the Ten Wizard Saints as well, but this…!" He trailed off, unable to find words to suit how overwhelmed he was.

"I know what you mean. If Jura can't win, we're going to need to plan really hard how we're going to take that guy down…" Yuka muttered next to him. Chelia looked awestruck as she leaned over the balcony in wonder.

In Sabertooth's balcony, Rufus tipped his hat over his eyes in a way that belied nervousness.

"I'm afraid I can't memorize Dragon Slayer Magic… Certainly not Magic of that magnitude. And if Jura cannot defeat him here, his will be of no use in taking Dragneel down…" The Memory Make Wizard declared this with a tight voice.

Minerva scoffed as she could perceive his concern.

"Neither of them are weak, but I'm fairly certain that I could handle either of them in a fight. Failing that, Sting and Rogue would be able to attain victory, if they unleashed Dragon Force."

Rogue could say nothing as he watched the match play out. Sting was obviously enthralled with Natsu's power, and Rogue couldn't help but wonder.

"… We'll see." Was all Rogue could muster, after a short time.

"Oh, _hell yes_! Natsu's kickin' his ass!" Sting crowed excitedly, with his and Rogue's Exceeds also enjoying the match.

"If we're gonna be #1 in Fiore again, we _need_ a guy like Natsu to show how kickass we are!" Lector agreed with his pal. Frosch was dancing about, alternating his feet.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Orga, liked Minerva, scoffed at his Guildmates being impressed by the Wizard Saints. Though he couldn't deny they _were_ showing some skill…

In the balcony for Hydra Roots, Cobra groaned. This garnered stares from Sorano and Racer, and a side glance from Midnight.

"That is complete bullshit… _Why the hell did he pick up another one_?!" The Poison Dragon Slayer cursed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Another one…?" Sorano tilted her head curiously.

"This is about Dragneel, isn't it." Racer deadpanned, obviously not happy one of Fairy Tail's Aces had some new trick.

After several moments, Cobra regained his bearings. He was still frowning, but he wasn't as irritated as before.

"… The guy's got another element. That's all I'll say. You're gonna see for yourselves soon."

Sorano's curiosity was piqued, while Racer looked just as annoyed as Cobra. Midnight remained silent and panned his eyes back to the arena.

Back in the arena, Natsu delivered a solid kick to Jura's chin that sent him crashing back into one of the arena's walls. He was once again emanating an aura of fire and lightning.

"Y'know, Serena was a big help in powerin' up my fire and lightning attacks, but I didn't get two Magics from the big guy – I got **three**." He sneered confidently, and Jura picked himself back up. He slowly made his way over to Natsu.

"Indeed…? I'm interested to find out what else you picked up…" Jura steeled himself and brought out his Talus, for good measure. He did not know the nature of the upcoming attack… But he believed he would be ready for anything.

Natsu took a deep breath to clear his head. He wasn't anything like Serena when using this element… but… damn if he didn't have the means to use it and make it deadly. He'd work on his control of the element later.

"Sea King Dragon's…!" Natsu's cheeks puffed out as some Magic flooded his mouth. " **Encircling Deluge**!"

… And then there was chaos. Because like a dam breaking, an immense flood of water burst from Natsu's mouth and quickly filled the arena. Once Jura saw the high tide of water go around the pillars in front of him, he leaped onto one and fortified it by making use of the other pillars. His gaze panned around the arena as the water continuously kept coming and filling it up, despite the tunnels leaking some of it out. Natsu was nowhere to be seen, and that wasn't a good sign. He would need to flush the Dragon Slayer out before he could strike…

"W-Wow…!" Chapati stuttered out as everyone observed this development in disbelief. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer, has adopted Water tactics! Who could've seen that coming?!"

"I'm sure the Magic Council sure couldn't have…" Yajima dryly remarked. On occasion they would fight fire with water, and that was usually enough to keep the Dragon Slayer in line. But now he'd be more difficult to keep on a leash.

Next to Yajima, God Serena was standing up on the table and boasting for all the world to see. Damn the consequences, he'd given one of the most reckless Wizards in the world access to techniques that controlled water… And he was damn proud of it.

"Natsu-san is overstepping into Juvia's area of expertise…!" Juvia watched the spectacle with wide, wide eyes, leaning over the railing.

Gajeel had a deadpan expression before he shook a fist out at the water.

"You wanna play the 'rust' game, do ya?! You try it on me and see what happens, ya bastard!"

Kagura and Ultear held their responses to a respectful silence. Laxus had a dry look similar to Gajeel's, though he was calmer and raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I wonder if zapping the water would be a breach of the rules or not…"

In the balcony for Hydra Roots, Racer's head was tilted back as his face was overshadowed gloomily.

"Why don't you just give that bastard Sky Dragon Magic so he can fly and Earth Magic so he can swallow you whole, while you're at it?"

"No joke." Cobra grumbled. "We're gonna need to work together to take him down, and a shit ton of luck…"

"You two are drama queens." Sorano was grinning a little, despite the situation. Richard also seemed impressed, while Midnight remained thoughtfully silent.

"Water…?" Rufus let out faintly from Sabertooth's balcony. "… Sure. Why not."

"You kiddin' me? I'd fry his ass so fast in this!" Orga grumbled.

"Perhaps you would…" Minerva conceded. "But as it stands, you are not currently fighting him, and there is very little chance of something like this happening again…"

"So awesome…!" Sting and Lector cheered, with Frosch agreeing with them. Rogue looked at them like they were all mad.

"Maaan… This reeks of a distressing parfum…" Ichiya muttered from his balcony. The Trimens agreed with him wholeheartedly.

"That's way past wild!" Rocker objected while his Guildmates did their usual "WILD!" chant.

"I don't think we're gonna be winnin' this year…" Beth mouthed the general thoughts of the Mermaid Heel Guild.

"I'll spin that Dragon Slayer…!" Master Oba threateningly whirled her finger around.

"He keeps on finding ways to surprise me…" Simon shook his head with a small smile. Meredy's eyes were bugged out, seeing how quickly the terrain had changed.

"I could see Juvia doing something like this… But Natsu?"

"That has to take up a lot of Magic Power…" Panther Lily mused.

"Well, I don't disagree…" Carla trailed off.

Happy giggled at everyone's gobsmacked expressions. Natsu let him get a preview of this Magic, so he was in the know. At least Ryo and Mikoto were impressed!

Makarov crossed his arms as he puzzled over Natsu's strategy. Of course he was caught off-guard like many of his children were; never in a hundred lifetimes would he have expected Natsu to pick up a style that revolved around water. Still, he had to wonder what all of this was supposed to accomplish against someone like Jura… Not to mention the water level was dwindling fast because of the tunnels.

Or at least… it was supposed to. After it had filled up the arena, the level seemed to be staying consistent, with waves of water crashing onto the lower level balconies. Was Natsu willing it to stay in place…?

"Do you have any ideas, First Master…?" Makarov asked, curious if Mavis saw something they all didn't.

"I have a few ideas…" Mavis murmured. "Though honestly, he fights so instinctually, I can only hazard guesses at this point. I wouldn't be worried, though!"

She finished off with a bright smile, and Makarov could only let his concerns go with a small sigh. He supposed she had a point. That boy was dependable.

The battle seemed to pick up again as Jura brought up Iron Rock pillars to identify where Natsu was at in the water. It didn't take long to perceive the pink-head swimming around below the surface, dodging and weaving around the pillars. That gave Jura an idea, and he started corralling the Dragon Slayer into one general location. Once that was accomplished, Jura placed his palms together and channeled immense Magical Pressure. It was an attack that he was fairly certain would get the job done, as this was something new Natsu had not seen yet.

But even so… best not to leave anything to chance.

" **Rumbling Mt. Fuji** …!" Jura bellowed, and then a massive beam of light shot up in the general location of Natsu. The Dragon Slayer was now visible above water, caught in the beam of Magic and unable to escape. The beam kept firing up into the sky for several moments before slowly dying down and sending Natsu plummeting back into the water.

For several moments, nothing seemed to happen. Jura expected the Pyro to get back up, make a counterattack, do _anything_ … But… all was silent. Even the water was sinking as it leaked into the tunnels, indicating Jura might have conquered the Dragon Slayer.

Jura narrowed his eyes. He wasn't going to leave anything to chance. In the general area where Natsu had fallen down, Jura raised various rock formations in an attempt to strike at the Dragon Slayer or raise his defeated form to the surface. All the while, the water level sank rapidly…

Chapati waited hesitantly attempting to end the match. When he saw a vest raised up on one of Jura's pillars, he hastily called out a winner – though Jura noticed it was just Natsu's vest on the pillar, as well as his scarf. It wasn't over.

"W-Well… I guess that's it, then! The winner is…!"

And that's when a high amount of Magical Pressure filled the air again. This time, clearly not coming from Jura. The Ace of Lamia Scale began to sweat from the heat he'd felt earlier in the match… It wasn't out of any sense of fear. It was merely that hot. And even the water was being converted into thick clouds of mist that obscured the arena. Uneasily, Jura attempted to use Iron Rock pillars to strike at the Dragon Slayer again, though he was running blind…

And he wasn't expecting an attack to come from almost directly under him.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art…! **Exploding Lightning Cannon** …!"

It was just a small orb of lightning… But as it traveled up alongside the pillar Jura was standing on, he could feel it tearing up large chunks of the pillar from the sheer compressed power it was exuding. Jura leaped up and away from the attack once he felt its presence careening towards him… But even before reaching the top, the attack exploded magnificently, unleashing a violent field of lightning that swallowed Jura up and attacked him from several different angles. He cried out painfully and dropped down to the ground unceremoniously just as Natsu had done minutes ago.

It wasn't enough to do him in. But… He was even slower than usual in getting back on his feet, and that gave Natsu the opportunity to charge him and punch him with a fist coated in dark red flames.

"Purgatory Dragon's… **Iron Fist**!" And when Natsu unleashed his punch this time, Jura was launched back into a wall by a violent explosion of flames that severely burned his chest and robes.

After landing the blow, Natsu sank down to one knee and panted heavily. Jura wasn't getting back up, but… it didn't look like he'd be able to stand up for much longer, either. He punched the ground in frustration, willing himself to keep sitting up as he was. If Jura got back up, he would need to continue the fight. He couldn't lose here.

… Jura didn't get back up.

"Ah… well…." Chapati trailed off nervously, feeling a little more confident with each second that passed by without Jura resuming the battle. "The fight is _over_! Natsu Dragneel wins the first match of Day Two!"

Natsu grinned despite himself. And it was with that elation of victory that he mustered the strength to stand and run around, cheering. The crowd went ballistic, roaring in approval. Up in the balcony for Fairy Tail Team A, Mira beamed as she leaned on the railing, cupping her face with her hands.

"Figures Natsu would win. It's interesting that he's got so many new attacks…" The barmaid mused. Gray had a hand in his pocket casually as he watched the Flamebrain dance around in the arena like a loon.

"I never would've imagined he'd pick up a water element. That almost seems sacrilege for that guy." He shook his head.

Erza was only a few steps away from the Ice Make Wizard, and her eyes were sparkling in a greedy, mischievous way.

"Just think of the combinations he could make! We're going to steamroll right through these games~…"

"And have the Magic Council on our asses after all this… Natsu's gettin' way too good." Cana muttered, taking a swig from a bottle of booze. Gray just rolled his eyes.

"Please. Like the Council is gonna lay a finger on God Serena's 'student'. The guy would level Era before they could even blink." He slightly nudged his head to the announcer's booth, where Serena was still standing up on the table and waving around victory fans like a traditional dancer. Cana and Mira sweatdropped.

"… Good point." They muttered simultaneously. Despite his childish, arrogant antics, Serena was the strongest mage in Ishgar. The Council would need the backing of the other Gods of Ishgar to even _hope_ to put Natsu on a leash anymore… And Warrod was rather fond of Natsu.

So they were doomed.

In Sabertooth's balcony, Rufus was glancing at the shirtless, giddy Dragon Slayer with a critical eye.

"I wonder… How did he survive Jura's Rumbling Mount Fuji? After all the Magic Power he had expended, surely that would've been enough to keep him down for a few more minutes at least… Enough time for Jura to pin him down and win."

Sting waved his hand dismissively, his grin threatening to split his face.

" _Please_! Natsu's a _tank_! He'd get back up from an Etherion blast!"

Rogue could only shake his head as Lector and Frosch boisterously agreed with his friend.

"No… Rufus is right. He should have come out of that exchange a lot more damaged…"

Minerva had a hand on her hip as she stared out the arena in general.

"It's possible he made use of Dragon Force to soften the blow… though I do not know to what extent he has mastered that ability, if at all." It aggravated her, not knowing exactly what happened. The two Wizard Saints had revealed so much, and yet not even she could have caught every miniscule detail of that fight. Both the water and the mist obscured some crucial parts of the battle…

In the Hydra Roots balcony, Cobra had his eyes narrowed. He probably had the clearest picture of that battle, but that didn't mean anything if he couldn't come up with any ideas to counter those two powerhouses… And across the arena, Ultear and Laxus were having similar contemplative thoughts.

Chapati coughed awkwardly as he tried to break up the celebrations going on around the stadium. Above all, he hoped to avoid annoying their guest announcer…

"That really was an exhilarating match, wasn't it folks?! But we're just getting started! If Mr. Dragneel could please clear the arena and make way for the next competitors, that'd be much appreciated!" He was marginally relieved when Natsu dashed over and picked up his vest and scarf. Hopefully now the security wouldn't be strained from any fangirl outbreaks from seeing Natsu's bare upper body for so long…Turning his head, Chapati was also relieved to see God Serena climbing down and settling in his seat once more – though he looked as cocky as ever. "Our next matchup will be Kagura Mikazuchi of Fairy Tail Team B against Minerva Orland of Sabertooth!"

On Fairy Tail Team B's balcony, Kagura walked calmly through the tunnel that would lead her to the arena, choosing to retain some elegance rather than jump from the balcony.

"It's my turn, then…" Kagura intoned, needing no input from her teammates.

"Kick her ass." Laxus encouraged her anyway with a small grin, and Juvia called after her in an uplifting tone.

"Do your best! We know you can win!"

Gajeel smirked cockily, and Ultear resumed observing the stadium through Arc of Time. A short couple minutes later, the Queen of Sabertooth was standing across from the swordswoman, whose hands were at her sides in a loose, ready manner.

"I hope you at least provide a good warm-up." Minerva taunted her opponent, whose steely gaze did not change from the challenge.

"You'll be surprised… this fairy will skin a tiger, if she must." Kagura responded crisply. Minerva was similarly composed, and did not let the words faze her.

"Barking doesn't win wars, little fairy…"

Satisfied that enough tension and anticipation had been built up, Chapati grinned eagerly.

"Let the second match… begin!"

With formidable auras surrounding the two young women, they began their match…

* * *

 **Author's Note: That's all I've got this time. I hope you enjoyed the Natsu vs. Jura fight, even if it was just a little. I can't say they revealed every little thing in that fight, but Natsu definitely came out on top for now. That might change later in the Games. But next time, we'll be getting into Minerva vs. Kagura, as well as the other two matches. Stay tuned!**


End file.
